Spain confirms first case of coronavirus variant present in UK | Coronavirus pandemic Information

The announcement comes after authorities in France and Lebanon also confirmed cases of the British variant.

In Madrid, four cases of a coronavirus variant have been confirmed, which recently emerged in the UK and are considered particularly contagious, according to the regional government.

All four cases, discovered for the first time in Spain, involved people who had recently traveled from the UK, Madrid regional government’s deputy chief of health Antonio Zapatero told a press conference on Saturday.

“The patients are not seriously ill, we know that this burden is more transmissible but does not cause a more serious illness,” he said. “There is nothing to worry about.”

There are three other suspected cases of the coronavirus variant, but test results will only be available on Tuesday or Wednesday, Zapatero said.

On Friday, the authorities in Lebanon and France also confirmed cases of the new variant.

As of Tuesday, Madrid banned all entries from the UK except for Spanish nationals and residents.

The news comes that the Spanish government is expected to receive 4.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine in the next 12 weeks, enough to vaccinate around 2.2 million people, according to the ministry.

The government expects between 15 and 20 million people of its 47 million population will be vaccinated against the virus by June.

Travel prohibited

The new strain of the virus, which experts believe is more contagious, has prompted more than 50 countries to impose travel restrictions in the UK.

The US said Thursday that all passengers arriving from the UK will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test for entry, while China has suspended all flights from the UK because of the new variety.

Other countries that have suspended travel for the British are France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Canada, India, Pakistan, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia and Jordan.

In the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman have completely closed their borders.

After a 48-hour travel ban this week, French authorities reopened their borders to the UK – in part to allow French citizens to return home and to facilitate the massive build-up of cargo – but had put in place a test policy.