New UK, South Africa Covid variants: Cases found in these countries

London - WHO says there is not enough info to determine whether the new variants could undermine vaccines.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said a variant of the coronavirus, which could be up to 70 per cent more transmissible, is spreading rapidly in Britain. A separate variant, first found in South Africa, is also causing concern.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is not enough information to determine whether the new variants could undermine vaccines being rolled out internationally.

The following countries are among those that have reported variants of the novel coronavirus, first identified in China a year ago, among their populations.

- SWITZERLAND has documented five cases of the variant from Britain and two cases of the South African mutation, a health ministry official said on Tuesday, adding he anticipates more cases will emerge.

- DENMARK has identified 33 infections with the variant spreading in Britain, authorities said on Dec. 24.

- FRANCE, with the highest number of coronavirus cases in the European Union, recorded its first case of a variant in a Frenchman arriving back from London.

- INDIA has found six cases of a variant of the coronavirus on a flight from Britain and will likely extend a flight ban to guard against it, officials said on Tuesday.

- JAPAN on Monday detected the variant found in South Africa, the government said, the first such discovery in a nation that has already identified more than a dozen cases of the variant spreading in Britain.

- SOUTH KOREA said the variant found in Britain was found in three people who had entered South Korea from London on Dec. 22. Officials vowed to speed up vaccinations.

- NORWAY said the variant circulating in Britain had been detected in two people who arrived from the United Kingdom earlier in December.

-- AUSTRALIA said two travellers from the United Kingdom were carrying the variant found in Britain.

- JORDAN has detected its first two cases of the variant spreading in Britain. The kingdom last week banned flights to and from Britain until Jan. 3.

- GERMANY said the variant from Britain had been found in a passenger flying to Frankfurt from London on Dec. 20. It seems to have been present in Germany since November, the Die Welt daily reported on Monday.

- ITALY detected a patient infected with the variant found in Britain, the health ministry said on Dec. 20.

- The variant linked to Britain has been detected on the island of Madeira in Portugal, the regional civil protection authority said.

- Health officials in FINLAND said the variant circulating in Britain has been detected in two people, while the variant spreading in South Africa has been detected in one other person.