France decided on Wednesday to postpone lifting COVID-19 restrictions in the country’s southwest. The government’s chief scientific adviser said a fourth outbreak of the virus is likely as the prevalence of the delta variant increases.

Scientists and medical experts believe the delta variant of the COVID virus, first identified in India, is more contagious than other forms of the virus, and the rapid spread of the delta variant around the world has prompted some countries to re-impose travel restrictions.

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the high prevalence of the delta variant in the Landes region of southwestern France means France will delay lifting COVID restrictions in the region until 6 July.

French Health Minister Olivier Véran said this week that the delta variant currently accounts for about 20% of all COVID cases in France.

“We don’t want to risk a new outbreak. This means that the relaxation of restrictive measures currently underway nationwide will be delayed in Les Landes until at least 6 July,” Attal said.

“We have all the means to prevent a fourth wave of the outbreak,” Attal added, noting that the virus could be contained if more people were vaccinated against COVID.

Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, a senior scientific adviser to the French government, said earlier that the spread of the delta variant means France is likely to be hit by the fourth wave of COVID, although it will not be as severe as the previous three.

Delfraissy’s warning was echoed by epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet, who also predicted a fourth COVID wave in September or October.

French health authorities announced 2,457 fresh cases of COVID on Wednesday, the most in 11 days, and the seven-day average rose for the third straight day to 1,854 cases.

This compares to over 40,000 recorded ten weeks ago.

Over 111,000 COVID-19 deaths were reported in France, the ninth highest number of COVID deaths worldwide.