British and South African coronavirus variants emerged in Australia

Australian states are increasingly recording cases of more infectious variants of COVID-19. The authorities are working to prevent outbreaks by amending quarantine rules.

Residents of Greater Brisbane have faced mandatory lockdown in a bid to contain the highly contagious UK variant of COVID-19. Source: AAP

The COVID-19 variants first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa have been recorded in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Contact tracing is underway, after it was confirmed a woman with the UK coronavirus variant travelled from Melbourne to Brisbane.

It comes as Greater Brisbane is under a three-day lockdown [[ending 6pm Monday, 11 January]], which was triggered after the UK coronavirus variant was detected in a Brisbane hotel quarantine worker.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament Source: AAP

The National Cabinet agreed on Friday [[Friday]] to change the protocol for overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

Those who test positive for the UK strain of the virus will now complete a full 14 days in hotel quarantine, even if symptom-free and no longer infectious.

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