Cases of a new variant of COVID-19 first detected in England were confirmed by health officials in Canada, Japan and several European Union countries on Saturday.
Why it’s important: While there is no evidence that the variant is more deadly than the original strain, the announcement by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that it could be 70% more transmissible led to dozens of countries banning travel from the UK.
- The strain, called B.1.1.7, caused a rise in cases that saw tens of millions of people in England and Wales blocked during the holidays.
- Some officials are concerned that it could spread unnoticed around the world, as few countries have the kind of sophisticated genomic surveillance that allowed British scientists to find the variant, according to the New York Times.
What is happening: The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the first two cases in North America of the new strain of coronavirus on Saturday evening in the province of Ontario.
- The agency noted in a statement that “these two cases did not travel outside of Canada.”
Officials in Japan He said on Saturday that the country would close the border with all non-resident foreigners from midnight on Monday until January 31 after seven people tested positive for the variant, NHK reported.
In Spain, The Madrid regional government announced on Saturday that four people had become infected with the variant, according to Al Jazeera.
Swedish Public Health Agency He said on Saturday that the strain had been detected in a recently returned traveler from the UK, Reuters notes.
French Ministry of Health confirmed the first B.1.1.7 case in the country on Friday at the end, by AFP.
For the record: Coronavirus vaccines are beginning to be spread throughout North America, European Union countries and countries around the world.
- The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen tweeted Saturday“Vaccination is the lasting way out of the pandemic.”
- There is no evidence that strain B.1.1.7 may affect the efficacy of these vaccines.