BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2021) The British variant, also known as B117, now accounts for almost a quarter of new coronavirus cases in Germany, a government spokesman said after a cabinet meeting on Monday.
"The share of more dangerous and clearly more contagious mutations is on the rise. B117 accounts for 20-25 percent of new cases," Steffen Seibert told reporters at a news briefing.
He said Germany and France would hold consultations on how to limit the spread of viral strains, which circulate more freely in border areas.
Germany has reported a pickup in new cases during the past four days, despite a stricter lockdown. The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases confirmed 4,369 new infections and 62 further deaths on Monday.