A "significant spike" in cases of Coronavirus has hit a popular destination for British tourists over the past seven or eight weeks.

A new hyper-contagious Covid variant from the "FLiRT" family is driving up infection rates in the Balearics as the positivity rate on the island is currently around 17 per cent.

Mallorca, an island off the coast of Spain and very popular among Brits, has seen a rise in cases over the summer.

The head of the Microbiology Service at Son Espases Hospital in Palma, Dr Antonio Oliver said "we are in a wave, so to speak."

Oliver pointed out that the rates are higher than those recorded in the winter, although at that time the wave was "quite small."

He continued: "Now there is a significant increase in the number of cases, which has been sustained for the last eight weeks. We will be close to the peak, but so far it has been rising."

The expert also explained that the predominant strain for over a month has been the FLiRT variant.

The new strain called KP.3 is part of the FLiRT family of coronaviruses and is similar to the previous KP.2 variant from the spring.

Oliver said: “It has been evolving and has escaped a little from the immunity we have," but stressed that the symptoms are "quite mild."

Symptoms for the new FLiRT variant look similar to previous strains.

The most common Covid symptoms include respiratory issues like coughing, runny nose, congestion and a sore throat.

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Symptoms can also include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea, body aches, fatigue, headaches and a loss of taste or smell.

Intensive care cases due to coronavirus on the Spanish islands are very low despite a rise in cases.

According to the latest figures from Spanish health authorities, incidences across the country have risen from 57.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 74.8 cases over a seven-day period at the beginning of June.

It comes as rates of infection in the UK jumped almost a quarter in one week.

In the UK, a June report showed hospital admissions rose by 24 per cent in one week, from 2.67 people per 100,000 to 3.31 per 100,000, according to the UK Health Security Agency.