Australian health officials cast doubt on claim new UK Covid strain more infectious

Minister Greg Hunt says Australia will not ban flights from UK because it has mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine

Cases of a Covid-19 strain that has plunged the UK into chaos have been detected in small numbers in Australia, but the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, has said there are no plans to follow other countries in halting flights from the UK.

On Sunday the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, said there was no evidence" the strain caused more severe illness or higher mortality, but it does appear to be passed on significantly more easily". It prompted some European countries, including Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, to ban flights from the UK.