A new Covid strain has been detected in the Uk with more than 100 cases of the Thai mutation found so far.
Known as VUI-21MAY-02 (C.36.3), the variant was first detected in Thailand in people who had travelled from Egypt, Public Health England said.
It was designated as a variant under investigation on May 24 on the basis of increased importation from a widening international area.
PHE is carrying out lab testing to understand the new variant.
The organisation did not disclose where the cases had been detected but said test and trace has been used to limit the spread.
It comes as the Indian variant has quickly become the dominant version of coronavirus in parts of the UK.
It was reported yesterday that the variant - B.1.617.2 - was detected in 151 local authorities in the week ending 15 May.
That is an 18 per cent weekly increase, according to figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute which sequences a random sample of positive tests in the community.
Matt Hancock announced that the Indian variant was still spreading, with between half and three quarters of new cases now the mutant strain.
