Germany, on Thursday, and Singapore, on Wednesday, confirmed their first cases of the new COVID-19 mutation rapidly spreading across the United Kingdom (UK).
Germany’s “first known case” was an infected individual who flew on Dec. 20 from London to Frankfurt to visit relatives, testing positive on arrival. Genetic analysis of the person’s sample at a Berlin lab later identified their infection as a case of B.1.1.7, the new British COVID-19 variant, the German state of Baden-Württemberg’s health ministry announced Thursday, according to Reuters. (RELATED: Nigeria Sees Emergence Of Possible New COVID-19 Mutation)
The infected person, who has demonstrated mild symptoms since testing positive, had been picked up from the airport by family members and is quarantining at the family’s residence in Baden-Wüerttemberg, the ministry said. Three people who had been in close contact with the individual infected have also been quarantined, the ministry added, Reuters reported.
The German government says it is planning to restrict travel to and from the UK due to the new COVID-19 strain
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) December 20, 2020
Singapore’s first case of the new “potentially more contagious” COVID-19 variant was confirmed by the city-state’s Ministry of Health on Wednesday, The Straits Times reported. The first case was that of a 17-year-old Singaporean student returning from Great Britain.
The girl had arrived in Singapore on Dec. 6 and had been served a stay-home notice at a designated facility upon arrival. On Dec. 8, she had developed a fever, and on the next day, it was confirmed she had COVID-19, according to The Straits Times.
Eleven others already quarantined in Singapore had tested positive for the new strain in preliminary results, Reuters reported.
Singapore confirms 1 imported patient with potentially more contagious Covid-19 strain from UK https://t.co/eHR6f49oGu
— The Straits Times (@straits_times) December 23, 2020
According to further reporting from Reuters, Singapore has shut the country to visitors who have a recent travel history to Great Britain to curb the new strain’s spread.
Dr. Fauci had said Monday that the new UK COVID-19 strain is ‘most likely’ in the United States due to travel between both the countries; however, he expressed that a travel ban would be unnecessary.
Besides the UK, South Africa has also identified a distinct, new COVID-19 mutation within its borders.
Furthermore, a top African Union health official told reporters Thursday that a third new recent COVID-19 mutation has probably emerged in Nigeria.