France reports first case of UK coronavirus variant
Paris, Dec 26: France recorded its first case of the new variant of coronavirus, as the number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 mounted in the country.
The French health ministry said a Frenchman who recently arrived back in France from London had tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus.
He currently has no symptoms and is isolating at his house. The statement added that authorities were tracing the man's contacts and labs were studying tests from other people who may have also tested positive for the new variant.
Meanwhile, World Health Organization's (WHO's) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said that the new strain has been detected in eight countries of the continent adding that the WHO was continuing to monitor the situation. "The variant also seems to be spreading among younger age groups, unlike previous strains," Kluge wrote on Twitter.
Countries around the world have in recent days closed their borders to both Britain and South Africa following the identification of cases of the new, fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus in those countries.
British
Health
Secretary
Matt
Hancock
had
said
on
Dec.
14
that
a
spike
in
Covid
cases
in
the
United
Kingdom
might
have
been
linked
to
the
new
variant
of
the
virus
in
the
country.
France
recorded
its
first
case
of
the
new
variant
of
coronavirus,
as
the
number
of
cases
and
deaths
from
Covid-19
mounted
in
the
country,
increasing
concerns
of
a
new
wave
of
the
virus
hitting
the
euro
zone's
second-biggest
economy.
The French health ministry said a Frenchman who recently arrived back in France from London had tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus.
The ministry said the case - the first in France - had been found in the city of Tours. The man in question arrived from London on Dec. 19. He was currently self-isolating and felt alright, the ministry added.
British
Health
Secretary
Matt
Hancock
had
said
on
Dec.
14
that
a
spike
in
Covid
cases
in
the
United
Kingdom
might
have
been
linked
to
the
new
variant
of
the
virus
in
the
country.
Hancock
said
more
than
1,000
cases
of
the
new
variant
had
been
identified,
mainly
in
southeastern
England.
Countries around the world have in recent days closed their borders to both Britain and South Africa following the identification of cases of the new, fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus in those countries.
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France registered 20,262 new, confirmed Covid-19 cases and 159 more related deaths in hospitals in the last 24 hours.
France's number of confirmed Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,547,771 while its Covid-19 death toll stands at 62,427 - the seventh-highest in the world.