NUR-SULTAN / ex ASTANA (KazInform) — Twelve cases of the UK variant of the coronavirus have been detected in Kazakhstan.

According to the press service of the National Expertise Centre, 265 COVID-19 positive samples obtained from the 14 regions of the country were investigated for genomic characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by the whole genome sequencing method at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics Studies of the National Expertise Centre of Kazakhstan.

The investigation found the genotype of the UK variant of the coronavirus in 12 cases. Eight cases of the UK strain are believed to be imported and were found in arrivals on international flights from Sharm El Sheikh and Dubai, where cases of UK and South African coronavirus variants are high. Four other cases of the British coronavirus variant reported in the Nur-Sultan, Almaty and Aktobe regions are not thought to be imported.