UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks at a press conference in London on December 23.
(Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
(CNN) -
UK health authorities have detected two cases of another new variant of Covid-19, originally identified in South Africa, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday.
"This new variant is very concerning because it is even more transmissible and appears to have mutated more than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK," said Hancock.
"They are both contacts of cases who traveled from South Africa in recent weeks," he explained.
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The Health Secretary announced new restrictions for travelers coming to the UK from South Africa.
He also told those who have been in contact with people who have arrived from South Africa in the past 15 days to go into quarantine immediately.
"These measures are temporary as we further investigate this new strain which will be analyzed shortly at Porton Down," he explained.
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