Cases of a new variant of COVID-19 first discovered in England were confirmed Saturday by health officials in Canada, Japan and several other countries of the European Union.
Why it matters: While there is no evidence that the variant is more deadly than the original species, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that it could be 70% more transferable has led dozens of countries to ban travel from the UK.
- The tribe, called B.1.1.7, caused a spike in cases where tens of millions of people in England and Wales were locked up during the holidays.
- Some officials are concerned that it may have spread unnoticed worldwide, as few countries have the kind of advanced genomic surveillance that allowed British scientists to find the variant, according to the New York Times.
What is going on: 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 Saturday said the country would close its border to all non-resident foreigners from midnight Monday and until Jan. 31 after seven people tested positive for the variant, the NHK broadcaster reports.
In Spain, According to Al Jazeera, Madrid’s regional government announced on Saturday that four people had been infected with the variant.
Swedish Public Health Agency said on Saturday that the tension had been detected in a recently returned traveler from the UK, Reuters notes.
Ministry of Health of France confirmed the first B.1.1.7 case in the country late Friday, per AFP.
For the record: Vaccines against the coronavirus are starting to be rolled out in North America, European Union countries and countries around the world.
- Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission tweeted Saturday, “Vaccination is the permanent way out of the pandemic.”
- There is no evidence that the B.1.1.7 strain can affect the effectiveness of these vaccinations.