11 out of the 16 samples tested by the institute had 17 mutations of the super-spreader B.1.1.7 strain that was first discovered in the UK in December last year.

The new virus strain, said to spread more quickly than previous variants of the novel coronavirus, has caused a surge in the number of COVID-19 infections in the UK as well as other European countries.

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City said on Monday that Patient 1660 from the northern province of Hai Duong was infected with the B.1.1.7 strain. He is under treatment at the city’s Cu Chi COVID-19 treatment hospital.

Earlier, a female worker from Vietnam Poyun Electronics company tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant on arrival to Japan last month.

The highly contagious coronavirus variant that originated in South Africa was also found in an imported case in December 2020.

Vietnam has so far recorded 1,882 COVID-19 infections.