TWO cases of the Omicron Covid variant have been found in the UK.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid commented there was ‘huge international concern’ about the strain.

The infected people are said to be in Nottingham and Chelmsford, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

Both cases are believed to be connected and there is a link to southern Africa.

Additional and targeted testing is being rolled out in those areas.

Meanwhile pharmaceutical firms are working to tweak vaccines against the new variant.

The strain, designated a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organisation (WHO), was reported yesterday to have reached Belgium after being discovered in southern Africa.

Unconfirmed reports today suggest two cases have been found in the UK.

The UK Government has banned flights arriving from South Africa and five neighbouring nations, but ministers were considering adding more countries to the red list.

Travel restrictions are set to be introduced for Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to set out further measures during a Downing Street press conference later on today.