STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The new coronavirus variant linked to a rapid rise in infections in the UK has been detected in Sweden after a traveler from the United Kingdom fell ill and tested positive, the Swedish Health Agency said on Saturday.
Health Agency official Sara Byfors told a news conference that the passenger had been isolated and that no other positive cases had been detected so far.
The unidentified traveler was in Sormland, south of Stockholm, according to Signe Makitalo, a regional doctor for infection control. It is believed that the new variant is more transmissible than others currently in circulation.
“The person who tested positive for the virus traveled to Sormland in the UK for a Christmas visit,” Makitalo said, adding that the risk of further contagion in the case was considered extremely limited.
Sweden imposed travel restrictions on passengers in the UK earlier this month amid concerns about the variant. Similar measures have been taken by several other EU countries and around the world.
Reporting by Niklas Pollard; Editing by Johan Ahlander and Mike Harrison