On Thursday, the Gamma variant, a novel coronavirus first discovered in Brazil, was detected in Russia in small amounts, Interfax reported. The Interfax news agency quoted the Russian vaccine developer as saying that the discovery had been made in Russia.

Russia is facing a rise in coronavirus-related cases. Authorities blame the Delta variant of the virus and slow vaccination rates. Russia reported 24471 new cases of COVID-19 and 796 deaths from coronavirus over the past 24 hours.

The Vector Institute in Siberia developed EpiVacCorona, Russia’s second-registered vaccine. Sputnik V, Russia’s most famous vaccine.

Interfax quoted the institute as saying that “the Delta variant is common on the territory Russian Federation, with isolated cases containing the Gamma variant,”

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The institute stated that the Gamma and Delta variants of the virus were “causing concern” due to their ability to spread faster and reduce the effectiveness antibodies.