Muscat, January 6: Omani medical workers have identified the first case of a new strain of coronavirus in a foreigner permanently residing in the Sultanate who has arrived from the UK, the Omani Ministry of Health said in a statement.

"The new strain of coronavirus was found in a foreign resident of Oman who came from the UK when he had breathing problems while in quarantine. He was tested for the presence of coronavirus before arriving in Oman and immediately after arriving in the Sultanate," the ministry said. New Coronavirus Strain: India First in World to Successfully Culture and Isolate 'UK Variant' of COVID-19-Causing SARS-CoV-2 Virus.

On December 14, 2020, the UK announced that a new coronavirus strain had been detected in the country, with the new variant being 70 per cent more transmissible. After the news emerged, many countries suspended travel to and from the UK.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases in Oman has amounted to almost 130,000, more than 122,400 people have recovered, and 1,502 died, which constitutes 1.16 per cent of all cases.

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