RIGA, Feb 9 (LETA) - Two more cases of the UK coronavirus strain have been recorded in Latvia this week, Janis Klovins, chairman of the scientific council at the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, told LETA.

To date, nine cases of the UK coronavirus strain have been confirmed in Latvia.

Earlier, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) indicated that the new Covid-19 variant, which was first discovered in the UK, does not cause more severe symptoms than the original coronavirus strain but that it is much more easily transmissible.

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

As reported, the government on February 4 agreed that, February 11 to 24, travelers from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the UK would be allowed to enter Latvia only for urgent and important purposes.

Travel from non-EU countries to the EU, including Latvia, had already been significantly restricted, and permission to enter Latvia from these countries is granted only in exceptional cases.

That means that during the aforementioned time period all non-essential travel to Latvia is prohibited.

The important and urgent purposes for entering Latvia from abroad include work, studies, family reunions, medical treatment, travel in transit or accompanying traveling minors, as well as return to the permanent place of residence or attending a funeral.

A temporary ban has also been imposed on passenger transportation via airports, ports and by buses from or to the UK, Ireland and Portugal, which according to the Foreign Ministry, are countries with the most extensive spread of the new Covid-19 variants.