4 vaccinated test positive for COVID-19 variant identified in India: Israeli ministry

JERUSALEM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Ministry of Health on Thursday reported four cases of vaccinated people tested positive for the new COVID-19 strain recently identified in India.

The ministry reported a total of 41 new cases of the strain, of which 21 were foreign nationals and three were Israelis who had returned from abroad.

Among those infected with the variant are five children, and therefore the Ministry and Israel's Home Front Command began to carry out extensive sampling in the schools involved.

Israel detected first seven cases of the variant, named B.1.617, on April 16, following genetic sequencing tests.

"There is still no clear information regarding the variant and its implications for the vaccinated and recovering," the ministry noted.

In addition, 19 new cases of five other coronavirus variants have been discovered in Israel in recent days.

To prevent the variants' spread in Israel, the ministry recommended the entire population to avoid unnecessary travel abroad, along with restrictions imposed on non-Israelis entering the country.