The variant has also been detected in Hawaii, Rhode Island and Ohio.

There is some alarm over the new variant which is potentially more infectious than the current dominant strains.

In China, data shows the proportion of severely ill respiratory patients with Covid has jumped from 3.3 to 6.3 percent over the last month.

The proportion of Chinese ER patients testing positive for Covid had jumped from 7.5 to 16.2 percent.

Officials in Taiwan are also reporting a surge in Covid emergency room admissions, with the number rising 78 percent in a week over the seven-days to May 3, according to the latest data available.

And hospitalizations have risen to a 12-month high in Hong Kong, thought to be driven by the new variant. Officials are telling people to mask up as a result.