Countries in Europe where new Coronavirus variant found
Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland have confirmed cases of the more contagious Covid variant identified in the UK; the latest European countries to do so. The infections were linked to people who had come from the UK.
France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany, as well as other places outside Europe; have also reported cases in the past few days.
The details given a week ago of the new variant in England triggered travel curbs from dozens of countries.
Scientists say the new variant is considerably more transmissible than previous strains but not necessarily any more dangerous for those infected.
Meanwhile, Hungary became the first EU country to start vaccinating people against the disease. The state news agency said the first recipient of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine there was a doctor at Del-Pest Central Hospital.
Madrid deputy health chief Antonio Zapatero said the confirmed cases in the Spanish capital involved three relatives of a man who flew from the UK on Thursday.
The fourth case concerned another man, who had also traveled from the UK. Mr. Zapatero said none of the patients were seriously ill and there was “no need for alarm”.
He said there were three further suspected cases of the new variant, though test results will not be ready before Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sweden’s health agency said a traveler there was ill with the strain but had been self-isolating since he returned from the UK.
Switzerland identified three cases – two of which are known to be British citizens currently in the country.
Switzerland is alone in Europe in keeping its ski slopes open to tourism over the Christmas and New Year period; and thousands of tourists from Britain have arrived in the last couple of weeks, according to sources.
New variant
News of the latest cases came just hours after France confirmed its first patient known to have the new variant.
The French health ministry said the person was a French citizen in the central town of Tours who had arrived from London on 19 December.
The ministry said the man, who had been living in the UK, was asymptomatic, and currently self-isolating at home.
