The State Serum Institute (SSI), Denmark’s infectious disease authority, reported on Wednesday December 23 that the new variant had be found in Covid patients, who tested positive between November 14 and December 14.

So far Denmark has analysed genetic material from 7,805 positive tests during the month-long period. Data shows that the new variant was found in approximately 0.4% of Covid infections.

However, SSI reports that this is only 13.5% of all the positive tests in that period and that percentage could change once more have been analysed.

“The latest sequencing results indicate that there is societal infection in Denmark with the new English virus variant, albeit at a very low level,” the SSI said.

Denmark, like many other countries in the EU and across the world, has suspended flights from the UK, where the new variant of the virus – said to be 70% more infectious than other variants – has spread rapidly in southern England and London.

Initial research shows that the 33 people who contracted the new variant of the virus in Denmark did not have any connection to the UK and had not been travelling, the SSI said.