New coronavirus strain reported in three European countries, says EU agency

People queue for a throat and nasal swab at a Covid-19 testing facility of the Municipal Health Authority GGD, in Utrecht, Netherlands (Peter Dejong/AP)

Cases of Covid-19 involving the new coronavirus variant observed in Britain have been reported in at least three other countries in Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said.

The Stockholm-based agency said in a “threat assessment” that while preliminary analysis in the UK suggests the new variant is “significantly more transmissible”, there is no indication that infections are more severe.