Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.Scientists have identified 16 cases of a new coronavirus variant in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) has announced.Cases of the variant, referred to as VUI-202102/04, were first identified on February 15 through genomic horizon scanning.PHE said on Thursday that all individuals who tested positive and their contacts have been traced and advised to isolate.The variant, which is understood to have originated in the UK, was designated a "variant under investigation" (VUI) on February 24.Variants of Covid-19 can be identified as VUIs or "variants of concern" (VOCs).New variants emerge regularly and experts are conducting frequent analysis to see which.