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The COVID-19 variant found in the UK is said to be 70 percent more transmissible than the original virus.
This mutation... has been confirmed on almost every continent.
Jang Tae-hyun with the details.
The COVID-19 variant discovered in the UK is spreading throughout the world.
Cases of the mutation have now been reported in Asian countries,... with Japan confirming seven infections.
Japan has decided to ban the entry of almost all non-resident foreigners starting Monday... to stop the COVID-19 variant.
One case was a man who did not get tested for the virus when entering Japan because he's a pilot,... and after that, he transmitted the virus to his family.
Japan will be suspending the issuance of visas from Monday, but those who already have visas can still come in.
The virus is up to 70 percent more transmissible than the normal, although further research is still ongoing.
"Where we're confident is that it is spreading faster than other virus variants. At the moment, the underlying mechanism is not fully clear."
Although there's no official report, there's a suspected case in the United States.
Los Angeles County is testing samples.
And in the meantime, the U.S. government is requiring all airline passengers flying in from the UK to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure starting Monday.
Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News.