Russia has introduced a mandatory two-week self-isolation for passengers arriving from the United Kingdom, the Interfax news agency reported on Friday citing the state consumer health watchdog.

According to Reuters, authorities said earlier this week the country would suspend flights to and from the U.K. for one week starting Tuesday after London reported a new variant of the coronavirus disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has however cautioned against major alarm over the new variant of the coronavirus, saying this is a normal part of a pandemic's evolution.

The WHO said it expects to get more detail within days or weeks on the potential impact of the highly transmissible new coronavirus strain.