Israel has identified its first case of a new coronaviruses variant that is spreading fast in southern Africa.
Israel's health ministry said Friday that the variant was found in an individual who returned from Africa.
The ministry said that two people who have returned from abroad could be carrying the coronaviruses variant. The ministry said they were put in a quasar.
Insider's Dr Catherine Schuster-Bruce reported Thursday that the B. 1.1.529 variant had been detected in South Africa, as well as in Hong Kong.
According to Insider's report, the variant has a high number of mutations.
The variant may be more infectious and able to escape the effects of vaccines and treatments.
The B. 1.1.529 variant is the most common cause of new COVID-19 cases in less than two weeks, according to a graph by the director of the country's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation.
The professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge University said on Wednesday that the new coronaviruses variant was worrying, but he has not said that since Delta.
Israel restricted travel to and from southern Africa because of a variant of the B. 1.1.529 variant.
According to the World Health Organization, Israel has reported more than 1.3 million COVID-19 cases and over 8,000 deaths since January 2020.
