Seven cases of the infection with the British strain of coronavirus have been confirmed in Montenegro, the Montenegrin institute of public health reported on Tuesday.

The confirmation of the appearance of the British variant, considered by experts to be more transmissible, has forced the local health authorities to propose new restrictions to contain the infection.

Currently, there are nearly 9,000 active cases of the COVID-19 infection in Montenegro.

Since the start of the epidemic, there have been 899 deaths linked to the virus.

Last week, the incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants in Montenegro was 593.5.

Montenegro expects the first shipment of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine until the end of this week to start vaccinating the local population against the infection.

A curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. is in force in this Adriatic country, and hospitality establishments are supposed to close their doors every day. Travel between municipalities is banned on weekends. Two coastal cities — Tivat and Budva — are in a lockdown and schools, cafes, restaurants and shopping malls are closed in those areas.