国际英语新闻:Slovenia confirms first case of coronavirus variant identified in S. Africa

LJUBLJANA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia has detected its first case of the coronavirus variant initially discovered in South Africa, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said here on Friday.

Poklukar told a news conference that the person from the area of Maribor in the northeast of the country has recently returned from Africa.

The minister noted that the infected person had been vaccinated against the coronavirus before traveling there.

"Epidemiologists have traced all highly risks contacts, and four persons have been referred to get tested and ten persons have been sent into quarantine. Two persons who returned from Africa with the first one have fallen ill," Poklukar said.

Since all highly risky contacts have been identified and sent into quarantine, no additional measures were required at this point, noted Poklukar.

"Today's case shows that the epidemic is not over yet," said the minister, urging people to abide by basic sanitary measures.

Slovenia on Friday reported 912 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the national tally to 188,676, according to the National Institute of Public Health.

To date, Slovenia has also confirmed 35 cases of the new coronavirus variant initially identified in the UK.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in many countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 255 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 73 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to the latest information released by the World Health Organization.