NYT Reports UK-Origin COVID Variant Found in at Least 33 Countries

More than 40 Countries Added to UK Entry Ban
Some Countries Also Ban Others Where Variant Viruses Were Found

As the United Kingdom is on high alert due to the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19), emergency responders at Guy's Hospital in London were preparing to transfer a patient brought in by ambulance to the emergency room on the 29th of last month (local time). The UK government announced that the daily new COVID-19 cases were recorded at 53,135 on that day, marking the highest number since the start of the pandemic. The surge in COVID-19 cases is attributed to the emergence of a highly transmissible variant. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] It appears that the new variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) originating from the UK has been detected in at least 30 countries.

The New York Times reported on the 2nd (local time) that with 15 UK arrivals in Turkey confirmed to be infected with the variant virus, the number of countries where the UK variant virus known as 'B.1.1.7' has been identified has increased to 33 in the new year. Including unconfirmed cases, the number of infected countries could be even higher.

According to the NYT, the countries where the UK variant virus has been officially confirmed so far include the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, and Iceland.

Additionally, the variant virus has been found in India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Taiwan.

In the United States, following Colorado and California, a man in his 20s from Martin County, Florida, was confirmed as infected with the UK variant virus on the 31st of last month. Most of the variant virus infections in the US appear to have no travel history, leading health authorities to believe that the virus has already spread significantly within local communities.

Accordingly, the number of countries banning entry from the UK has increased to more than 40. Some countries have also imposed restrictions on arrivals from other countries where the variant virus has been detected, not just the UK.

In the case of the Philippines, entry is banned not only for foreigners from the UK but also from 19 countries including the United States, where COVID-19 variant infections have occurred. Although the variant virus does not cause severe symptoms, it is known to have a higher transmission rate than the original COVID-19 virus. A similar form of variant virus has also been found in South Africa.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.