New coronavirus strain first seen in Britain confirmed in Mexico

FILE PHOTO: Paramedics wait outside the General Hospital for available hospital beds for their patients showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be admitted, in Mexico City, Mexico January 7, 2021. REUTERS/Luis Cortes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The new variant of the coronavirus first detected in Britain has been confirmed in northern Mexico, health officials said on Sunday, adding a new layer of concern to an already severe national outbreak.

The confirmation of the especially contagious new variant of the virus marks the first time it has been found in Mexico, home to the pandemic's forth-highest death toll globally.