The new strain of the coronavirus recently discovered in Britain has also reached Spain., dpa reported. In Madrid, four cases of infection with the mutant strain have been detected, Antonio Zapatero, a deputy regional health minister, said on Saturday. Three further cases are suspected. PCR testing identified three of the confirmed cases, all family members of a man who flew in from London a few days ago. The fourth case is a young man who also travelled from London to Madrid on Tuesday. Zapatero reassured citizens in the region surrounding the capital that there was no reason to panic. He said that so far, evidence suggests that while the British variant is more contagious than others, it does not lead to a more severe course of the disease. Madrid, like most of Spain's 17 autonomous communities, has been sealed off since Wednesday and will remain so until January 6.
