Five cases of the new variant of the rapidly spreading coronavirus across the UK have been found in Japan, and one case has been confirmed in France.
The five people infected with the most contagious form of Covid-19 had all recently come from the UK.
Japanese media reported that they have been quarantined and that health officials are trying to track down their contacts and possible routes of infection.
Even the first case in France with the new variant was someone who had arrived from London, on 19 December. The French health ministry said he was asymptomatic and was currently self-isolated.
The patient was tested in hospital on December 21st.
"Health authorities have been tracking contacts for patient care professionals," the ministry said in a statement. Any contact of theirs that was seen as tangible will be isolated, the statement said.
The new variant has brought stricter travel controls around the world.
Some countries, including Saudi Arabia, have temporarily closed their borders altogether.
Where travel is still possible it is more likely to come with stricter controls. Russia introduced mandatory two-week quarantine for people arriving from Britain.
Japan expects to start a vaccination program in the new year. The country of 126 million has reached an agreement to buy 290 million doses of vaccine from Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna, enough for 145 million people.
However, none of them have yet been approved by its regulators, so for now the Japanese authorities are still struggling to control the broadcast.
Source: The Guardian
