Mutated virus variant from S.Africa in UK - health minister

South Africa's health department said last week that a new genetic mutation of the virus had been discovered and might be responsible for a recent surge in infections there.

"We've detected two cases of another new variant of coronavirus here in the UK," Hancock told a media briefing.

"Both are contacts of cases who have traveled from South Africa over the past few weeks."

Britain is already trying to curb the spread of a mutated strain of the virus which is up to 70% more transmissible, and further studies aerie being carried out on the new variant.