Kathmandu, April 8 -- The fast spreading variant of coronavirus, the one first detected in the United Kingdom, is responsible for the recent spike in new cases in Nepal, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

According to Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson for the Health Ministry, the UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, is seen in swab samples of a significant number of new cases.

"We would like to request everyone to be serious and follow safety measures, as the UK variant of virus is found spreading significantly in communities," said Adhikari. "A number of schoolchildren, teachers and others are getting infected in significant numbers in recent days."

The UK variant was first confirmed in Nepal in January.

The World Health Or...