Spain and Sweden become latest countries to report cases of mutant Covid
Sweden has become the latest country to report its first case of the highly contagious coronavirus variant which has swept across the UK.
It was detected in a traveller who fell ill after arriving from Britain and later tested positive, the Swedish health agency said on Saturday.
Health official Sara Byfors told reporters the person has been self-isolating and that no further positive cases had so far been detected.
Spain also reported its first cases of the faster-spreading strain on Boxing Day, with all four people who tested positive said to be in good health. Officials said it arrived when an infected person flew into Madrid.
The new variant, dubbed VUI-202012/01, sparked worldwide concern after scientists warned it could be up to 70% more transmissible than others currently in circulation.
After it was discovered in southeast England, countries around the world closed their borders to travellers from the UK in an effort to prevent the variant reaching their shores.
France, which has also recorded a case of the mutant strain, imposed some of the harshest restrictions, banning hauliers from crossing the Channel.
The temporary prohibition caused chaos at the Port of Dover as thousands of lorry drivers were stranded waiting to take a test before they could cross.
Spain also banned travellers from the UK, although Spanish nationals were permitted to return, while Ireland has extended its ban until New Year’s Eve.
Other countries have also reported cases of the new variant.
Japan has confirmed five infections in passengers who had all arrived from the UK, while Denmark, Australia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines have all also reported cases.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte extended a ban on flights from the UK on Saturday by another two weeks to mid-January in a bid to prevent its spread.
He also ordered a 14-day quarantine for passengers that came from or transited in the United Kingdom, and from countries where the more infectious Covid-19 variant was detected.
Meanwhile, nations across the EU are set to begin rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Sunday.
The first shipments arrived at hospitals across the continent in super-cold containers late Friday and early Saturday after being sent from a manufacturing centre in Belgium before Christmas.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen released a video celebrating the vaccine rollout, calling it ‘a touching moment of unity’.
She added: ‘Today, we start turning the page on a difficult year. The Covid-19 vaccine has been delivered to all EU countries. Vaccination will begin tomorrow across the EU.’
The rollout marks a moment of hope for a region that includes some of the world’s earliest and worst-hit virus hot spots – including Italy and Spain – and others like the Czech Republic, which were spared early on only to see their health care systems near breaking point in the autumn.
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