(CNN) –There are currently 77 positive cases of the new Indian variant of Covid-19 in the UK, according to the latest figures from Public Health England (PHE).
There are 73 cases in England and four in Scotland with the double mutation variant, a PHE spokesman told CNN. Variant B.1.617 was first detected in India.
The Indian Ministry of Health has said that such mutations increase the infectivity and help get rid of the immune response.
The variant has been designated Variant Under Investigation (VUI) by PHE. Better follow-up of contacts will be carried out and all appropriate measures will be taken, he added.
Currently, the British variant (B.1.1.7) is the dominant strain in the country, with 209,492 confirmed cases. However, the percentage of people who gave positive results in the country is declining, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday.