Turkey confirms first cases of UK coronavirus strain

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

Turkey announced its first cases of the U.K. coronavirus variant on Jan. 1 while stressing that all precautionary measures were being taken.

“In the investigations made due to the mutation originating from the U.K., mutated viruses were detected in 15 people who entered the country from the UK and the required measures have been adopted,” said Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Twitter.

Entries from the U.K. to Turkey have been temporarily suspended, he added.

He said the people who came in contact with the infected persons have also been quarantined.

The U.K. has reported a new variant of coronavirus that officials say is highly infectious, but there has been no evidence so far it is more likely to cause severe disease or mortality, the World Health Organization said.