The newly identified Covid-19 variant, which has been spreading through London and parts of Southeast of England, has been detected in Northern Ireland.

“This is sadly the confirmation we had been expecting,” the Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann said in a statement on Wednesday. “We all have to redouble our efforts to stop the virus spreading. We know how to do this – cut down our contacts with others, ensure strict social distancing, wash our hands regularly and thoroughly, and wear a face covering.”

“I would urge everyone to review their plans for Christmas and to err on the side of caution,” Swann added. “Just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you have to.”

Health authorities in the nation went on to say it is “increasingly likely” that the new variant has established itself across the UK and Ireland.

“While virus mutation is not uncommon, the potential of this new strain to spread rapidly is cause for serious concern,” the Northern Ireland Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said, according to the statement. “I would advise the public to act on the assumption that it is already well established in Northern Ireland and that the person they pass in the street or stand next to in a queue may have it.”

“We protect ourselves and others from this new strain through taking the same vital steps and using the same methods we have been using since the start of the pandemic.”