The delta variant in countries with zero or “almost zero” cases Share The spread of the Delta variant is putting a strain on the contagion containment strategies of some of the countries that had managed to minimize the circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Nations such as Japan, which had focused on a capillary “backwards” tracking system, or like Australia, which with short, targeted lockdowns combined with strict border control had almost eliminated the transmission chains, they will perhaps be forced to revise their plans, in view of a future forced coexistence with the virus. ISOLATION Australia, Japan, and South Korea, together with Iceland and New Zealand, have bet everything on the virus elimination strategy or “zero-covid strategy”.