this is a quick google translation from one of - my - Austrian newspapers
In light of the corona mutations, WHO warns of an "even tougher" second year of the pandemic.
In view of the rapid spread of significantly more contagious variants of the Coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency committee is bringing forward its next meeting by two weeks. The panel will meet as early as Thursday to discuss current developments, WHO announced in Geneva on Wednesday.
In addition, the emergency committee is to discuss the handling of vaccination certificates and Corona Tests while travelling. The expert panel will then publish recommendations for WHO and its member states.
"Even harder year"
The director of medical emergencies at the World Health Organization (WHO), Michael Ryan, warns of a new escalation of the crisis. In light of the recent massive acceleration in the spread of Coronavirus in some countries, Ryan warned of an "even tougher" second year of the pandemic. According to a count by the AFP news agency, nearly two million people have died from the Virus worldwide so far
Two mutations of the Virus have been discovered in the UK and South Africa in recent weeks, which are considered to be significantly more contagious than the previous forms of the pathogen. These mutations have now spread to at least 50 countries worldwide. In addition, Japan announced on Sunday the discovery of another Mutation, which is said to originate from the Brazilian Amazon region. This variant is currently under investigation.