The number of the COVID-19 cases involving the infectious Delta variant has surpassed 40 in Gyeonggi Province alone. 

The provincial government said on Friday that since it announced its first COVID-19 case involving the Delta strain on April 7, a total of 42 people have been confirmed with the variant in the province as of Wednesday. 

The number of the Delta variant cases in the province rose rapidly from four in April to eight in May and 30 in June. 

Among them, 18 are associated with cluster infections including one linked to English academies in Gyeonggi while 13 others were detected from overseas arrivals. 

Delta variant cases in the province will likely further grow as the regional government presumes 258 people recently infected with COVID-19 are family members or an acquaintance of confirmed Delta variant cases or those who came in contact with them.