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South African variant of covid -19 identified in eight areas of England

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A woman takes a covid test in Surrey, one of the areas where the South African variant has been detectedHANNA MCKAY / REUTERS

The South African variant of the covid has been identified in eight areas of England where infected people have no clear travel links to South Africa. Door-to-door testing is being launched to avoid a community transmission in, among others, the London boroughs of Merton, Haringey and Ealing.