New Type Of COVID Case Found In France

JAKARTA - France reported the first case of a new type of COVID-19 infection, namely in a citizen who recently returned from London, England.

The French Ministry of Health said that the first case was found in the City of Tours.

The patient in question arrived from London on 19 December. After testing positive, he is undergoing independent isolation and is in good condition, according to the ministry.

British Health Minister Matt Hancock, on December 14, said that the increase in cases in the United Kingdom may be related to the new variant of the coronavirus emerging in the country.

Hancock said more than a thousand cases of the new type of COVID-19 had been identified, most of which occurred in southeastern England.

A number of countries around the world have, in recent days, closed their entrances to passengers from the UK and South Africa following the discovery of a new type of case, which is said to be more infectious than the previous coronavirus.

Meanwhile, in France, there are currently 20,262 additional cases of COVID-19 and at least 159 cases of patient deaths in hospital within 24 hours.

Overall, the number of COVID-19 cases in France has so far reached over 2.5 million and more than 62,000 deaths - the seventh highest in the world.