, a total of 1,356 genetically distinct SARS-CoV-2 strains were brought into the UK from abroad.
More than a third (34 per cent) came from Spain, which was an early epicentre of the outbreak, while 14 per cent came from Italy, another major hotspot in the early days of the pandemic.
Twenty-nine per cent stemmed from France, while less than one per cent derived from travel between the UK and China.