Travellers from South Africa encouraged to have COVID test

Mon, 28 Dec 2020

People who’ve travelled to the island from or through South Africa are encouraged to have a COVID-19 test after a new variant of the virus was detected there.

It’s spread rapidly in the country and cases have now been found in the UK.

Public Health Director Henrietta Ewart says it’s common and natural for viruses to mutate and isn’t something that should cause alarm. 

There are already 4,000 variants of COVID-19 in the UK.

The concern about the new South African strain and one other type, is because that they appear to be more easily transmitted, meaning they spread quicker.

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