Stockholm, Dec 31 (IANS): Sweden has reported four cases of the new, more contagious Covid-19 variant, which was first discovered in Britain earlier this month, the country's Public Health Agency confirmed.

"We always expected to find further cases of this new virus strain. This shows that our extended efforts to analyse and handle cases have been fruitful," Xinhua news agency quoted state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell as saying in a statemen on Wednesdayt.

To curb the spread of the variant, Sweden on December 21 introduced an entry ban on arrivals from Britain, which Swedish citizens were exempt from.

It also barred travellers from neighbouring Denmark following reports of Covid-19 variant cases there.

According to Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, a British Airways flight from London, carrying 29 Swedes and four Finns whose final destination was Helsinki, landed at Stockholm Arlanda Airport on December 26.

None of the 33 passengers were turned away, tested on arrival or required to go into quarantine.

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Mikael Damberg announced that starting from January 1, non-Swedish nationals travelling from Britain will need to show a negative test result not older than 72 hours before entering Sweden.

The rule will not apply to Swedish citizens as they cannot be legally prevented from entering the country, said Damberg.

Swedes arriving from Britain are recommended to self isolate and take a Covid-19 test upon arrival and an additional one five days later.