Coronavirus crisis: Highly contagious strain of COVID-19 brought into Australia from UK

A strain of COVID-19 that transfers quicker than previous mutations has been brought into Australia by UK travellers, NSW Health has confirmed.

On Monday, NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant confirmed two travellers from the UK had brought the new strain into the country, which is estimated to be 70 per cent more transmissible than earlier versions of the virus.

“Today I’m advised that we’ve had a couple of UK returned travellers with the particular mutations you’re referring to,” Dr Chant told reporters.

Dr Chant did not say whether the couple was currently in hotel quarantine.

None of the 83 cases that have arisen out of the cluster in Sydney’s northern beaches have matched the UK strain through genomic sequencing.

“Can I be very clear that the Avalon cluster strain does not have those mutations,” Dr Chant said.

“But the key point, regardless, is that we need to treat all people with that end-to-end process of making sure that they’re not coming in contact and there is not a risk of exposure to any residents in New South Wales.”

A surge in cases in the UK was sparked by the new infectious strain of the virus, called VUI202012/01.

England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said there was no evidence to suggest the strain caused a higher mortality rate or affected vaccines but was working to confirm that information.

The new strain forced UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce new restrictions for the Christmas period.

London and southeast England — about one-third of the English population — are currently at the highest level of a three-tier system of rules and will be placed in a new tier four level.

People will be required to stay at home except for essential reasons such as work, and non-essential retail will close, as will indoor leisure and entertainment.

Several European nations have also slammed their borders shut to the UK including Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.