As India added to travel red-list, Britain finds 55 more cases of coronavirus variant

Britain found 55 more cases of the B.1.617 coronavirus variant first detected in India in latest weekly figures, Public Health England said on Thursday, with India set to be added on the travel red list from Friday morning.

A total of 132 confirmed and probable cases of the B.1.617 variant have now been found in Britain. Health minister Matt Hancock on Monday announced India would be added to the red-list, meaning arrivals will have to quarantine in hotels.

There were 70 more cases of the variant first found in South Africa, known as B.1.351, in the week running to April 21, PHE said.