First cases of UK strain of COVID-19 registered in Palestine's Bethlehem

Ramallah [Palestine], January 30 (ANI/Sputnik): The first two cases of a highly infectious variant of COVID-19 first identified in the United Kingdom have been reported in Palestine, in the province of Bethlehem, governor Kamel Hmeid said on Saturday.
"Lockdown in the province of Bethlehem will be tightened after two new cases of the UK COVID-19 strain were reported," Hmeid said in a statement.
London declared the appearance of a mutated variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is reported to be up to 70 percent more transmissible than other strains, last month. Even though many countries around the world suspended travel to the UK, it did not prevent the spread of the new strain across the world. (ANI/Sputnik)