Health officials are sounding the alarm over a dangerous new COVID-19 strain as hospitalisation rates in China surge. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) data shows that patients from nine countries have tested positive for the new strain - China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, France, the Netherlands and Spain.

The travellers with the virus arrived in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York City in the US. The NB.1.8.1 Covid strain has been linked to a surge in positive cases in China, with many patients requiring hospital treatment. Neighbouring Taiwan and the administrative region of Hong Kong have also reported a surge in hospitalisations.

In Hong Kong, officials are urging people to use masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

They warned that Hong Kong authorities say that the city's Covid rates climbed to the worst levels they have seen in at least a year after a "significant increase" in hospitalisations.

A CDC said: "CDC is aware of reported cases of COVID-19 NB.1.8.1 in China and is in regular contact with international partners."

While the Covid pandemic started almost six years ago, it is still causing political tensions between the US and China.

Earlier this month, Beijing claimed that Covid may have originated in the US amid mounting allegations that it actually originated in China.

US President Donald Trump's administration suggested that the virus was leaked from a lab in the city of Wuhan.

In response, a Chinese white paper said: "Substantial evidence suggested the Covid-19 might have emerged in the United States earlier than its officially-claimed timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China.

“The US government, instead of facing squarely its failure in response to Covid-19 and reflecting on its shortcomings, has tried to shift the blame and divert people’s attention by shamelessly politicising SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing."