Amman, Jordan
Two new cases of a new coronavirus variant have been detected in Jordan in a couple who had returned from the UK, Health Minister reported on Sunday.
The Jordanian couple had returned from the UK recently after travelling on December 19, reported Health Minister Nazir Obeidat.
Also read| Europe begins vaccine rollout as new virus strain spreads fears
This new strain spotted is a particularly infectious coronavirus variant. The couple has since been isolated, although they are reportedly in "excellent health" condition. The couple is still being monitored by a team of doctors.
The cases have been identified a few hours after Jordan, like other countries, imposed restrictions on all incoming passengers from the UK, over fears of the new strain infiltering the country's borders.
Jordan announced the new strain a few hours after Canada's Ontario confirmed two cases of the new variant of coronavirus.
In mid-December, Jordan announced it had approved emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which will be distributed free of cost to the locals.
In addition to Jordan and Canada, several other countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, South Africa and a few more have also detected new variants of the virus.
While the AstraZeneca chief has claimed the Oxford vaccine will be effective against the new strains too, scientists believe the new variants is about 40-70 percent more transmissible than the original strain.