The Delta coronavirus variant is spreading rapidly through the UK.

According to the most recent statistics from the UK’s Office for National Statistics, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the country once again due to the rapidly-spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus. New cases are up to 119,000, a 9,000 increase compared to this time last week. In nearly all of these new infections, the Delta variant is to blame; at least one in every 540 people are infected.

The highly infectious Delta variant, which was first identified in India, now makes up 91% of new coronavirus cases in the UK, per the British health minister.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 10, 2021

Based on demographical surveys, the infections seem to be occuring more frequently in young adults in their early to late 20s. Cases in older adults are still on the downturn, with the elderly in particular making up surprisingly few infections. This is likely thanks to efforts to vaccinate the elderly first.

Italy will require people arriving from Britain to quarantine for five days and take a COVID-19 swab test, as concern grows about a soaring increase of cases in Britain involving the delta variant. https://t.co/lgY1wL7WMQ

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 18, 2021

Luckily, medical researchers have confirmed that vaccination is roughly as effective against the Delta variant of the coronavirus as the regular strains, give or take a few percent. Having both shots of a vaccine, while not guaranteed to prevent transmission of the disease, drastically lower the chances of its spread. The odds of catching and requiring hospitalization from a coronavirus infection are a mere 10% when one is fully vaccinated.