RIGA, Jan 12 (LETA) - Health Minister Daniels Pavluts (For Development/For) has ordered the preparation of a forecast for a worst-case scenario of Covid-19 variant spreading in Latvia.

In an interview to TV3 channel on Tuesday, the minister said that he ordered the forecast in response to the news that the new Covid-19 strain, which is more contagious than the original one, has been found in Latvia. 

Pavluts said that the forecast is expected to help the health sector prepare for a more negative scenario that could require additional government support. 

At the same time, the health minister stressed that the spread of both the original and new Covid-19 variant in Latvia directly depends on people's compliance with the coronavirus restrictions. 

As reported, the new Covid-19 strain has been detected also in Latvia, the Latvian public television reported on Sunday evening.

CDC reported that this case is related with a trip to the UK.

CDC said earlier that the new Covid-19 strand does not differ from the common Covid-19 by symptoms and severity, but it is more infectious.

Following the news on the new Covid-19 strand discovered in the UK, Latvia like other European countries had banned passenger traffic with the UK from December 21 until January 1. Now, in order to reduce the risks, all people arriving from the UK and the South African Republic should observe ten-day self-isolation and have to take Covid-19 tests on the day of the arrival and at the end of the self-isolation period.

CDC reported earlier that separate cases of the new Covid-19 variant have also been discovered in Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland and Australia.