Singapore sees most local coronavirus cases in 3 months, more of new variant

A healthcare worker receives the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) in Singapore December 30, 2020. Lee Jia Wen/Ministry of Communications and Information/Handout via REUTERS

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore reported five locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday, its highest number in nearly three months, and was seeking to verify two others suspected of being infected by a highly contagious variant first discovered in Britain.

The two individuals believed to be infected with the B117 variant, which has prompted new travel curbs worldwide, had both arrived from Britain this month and had earlier tested negative, the health ministry said on Wednesday.