Turkey finds 15 people carrying new UK coronavirus variant

Turkey’s health minister says country has identified 15 people who carry a highly contagious coronavirus variant that was discovered in United Kingdom.

In a statement Friday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said strain was found in travelers arriving from U.K. He said y were in quarantine, along with people y h been in contact with. He said strain was t identified in passengers from elsewhere.

Turkey suspended flights with U.K. along with or countries in late December upon discovery of new strain's spre and quarantined at least 4,603 passengers. Turkey also began to require a negative PCR test result for all international arrivals last week.

Turkey has among worst infection rates in world but official statistics show 7-day aver of daily infections has dropped to around 15,000 from above 30,000 since evening curfews and weekend lockdowns were instituted in early December.

official death toll is 21,093, according to ministry statistics, but critics have accused government of deliberately downplaying extent of county's outbreak.