London: Already reeling under a mutated Covid 19 variant, UK is now grappling with another one.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock Wednesday confirmed detecting a more transmissible variant "which seems to have undergone future mutation", reports say.
There are two cases of the new variant in the UK, both contacts of cases have travelled from South Africa, he said.
"This virus is yet more transmissible and appears to have mutated further than the new virus," he said, the BBC reported.
Alongside quarantining the new cases, UK has placed restrictions on travel from South Africa and appealed contacts to quarantine themselves right off.
At a press briefing he outlined more restrictions for south and east England.
Since detecting the first variant early this week UK has imposed restrictions, causing ripple effect across the world.
Several countries have since halted flights, as well as tightening checks at airports on those returning from UK.
IANS report with edits