S. Korea confirms 1st COVID-19 variant infections from entrants from Britain

SEOUL -- South Korea's health authorities said on Monday that it detected the country's first cases of more transmissible COVID-19 variant infections from entrants from Britain.

The new COVID-19 strain was found from three of a four-member South Korean family, who had stayed in London and arrived here on Dec. 22, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The infected family members, including two minors and one adult, were confirmed with the coronavirus when they took tests after arrival, and have been under quarantine.

They had no direct contact with other people after arrival, but there remained a possibility for in-flight transmission.

Four members of another South Korean family, who came here from Britain separately on Nov. 8 and Dec. 13, tested positive for the virus and have been under investigation whether they were infected with the new variant.

Among them, one man in his 80s who arrived here on Nov. 8 was posthumously tested positive for COVID-19. The three others came here on Dec. 13 and have been quarantined.

The new strain, found in Britain, is known to be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the old one.

South Korea decided to suspend all flights from Britain between Dec. 23 and Dec. 31, and announced a plan earlier in the day to extend the halt for one more week through Jan. 7.

In the latest tally, the country reported 808 more cases of COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, raising the total number of infections to 57,680. The daily caseload stayed below 1,000 for two days amid the fewer tests over the weekend.