France and Japan have reported their first cases of the coronavirus variant that prompted lockdowns in Britain and is feared to be more contagious than other strains.
France’s first reported case is a Frenchman who lives in England and returned to his home country on Dec. 19, The Associated Press reported. He tested positive for the variant on Christmas Day and is now isolating at home in the central city of Tours, without symptoms.
Also on Friday, Japan announced that five people tested positive for the new variant after arriving from Britain and being tested while under airport quarantine, the Kyodo news agency reported. They are all under 70, and all but one is asymptomatic.
The rapid spread of the virus variant — which may be more transmissible than others — led to the lockdown of London and southern England this week. Restrictions will expand further on Saturday, and a national lockdown has not been ruled out.
France and Japan are among dozens of countries around the world that have placed restrictions in recent days on travelers from Britain.
France on Wednesday lifted its 48-hour blockade of the English Channel, but a subsequent push to test thousands of travelers for the virus as a condition to enter the country has proved a logistical nightmare that the authorities are struggling to manage.
Japan on Thursday began barring certain travelers from the United Kingdom. Residents of Japan are still allowed to enter, but travelers on short-term business trips are no longer exempt from quarantine.
Hong Kong on Monday banned passenger flights from the United Kingdom, leaving thousands of students unable to return for the Christmas holiday. Health authorities in the Chinese territory say they are investigating what appear to be two cases of students who returned from Britain with the variant.
South Korea, which reported a record of 1,241 new coronavirus infections on Friday, banned flights from Britain from Wednesday until the end of the year.
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