Brazil COVID variant already in UK, confirms top scientist Prof Wendy Barclay

On January 14, a top scientist in the UK confirmed that one of the novel coronavirus variants found in Brazil had already entered the UK. Prof Wendy Barclay, who heads the G2P-UK National Virology Consortium, told British media outlets that the newly launched project that was aimed at researching the effects of emerging COVID-19 mutations found that one of the two Brazilian variants was already inside the UK. She added that the Brazilian strain will be “traced very carefully” inside the UK. This comes as the UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told local press that he “wasn’t aware” about the new COVID-19 variant’s presence inside Britain. 

The UK banned the South Americans from entering the country amid growing concerns about a mutant coronavirus strain that originated in Brazil. The ban came into force at 4 am on Friday after reports of the new Brazilian variant of coronavirus was detected in the country. UK’s restriction covers Portugal due to travel links with Brazil, the Central American state of Panama, and the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde. Shapps told BBC Radio 4’s Today 4 that the Brazilian variant detected is completely different from the strains originated in the UK and South Africa. She, however, said that the virus strain has some key mutations and can lead to a huge surge in transmission rate. 

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Portuguese minister condemns UK ban

UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the British press that the ban imposed to contain the spread of the new Brazilian variant was extended to Portugal because travellers from Portugal arriving in Europe from South America. Shapps told UK’s BBC, that there were no known cases of the Brazilian strain at the moment, and the ban was a precautionary approach. He added that the government wanted to ensure that they do everything possible so that vaccine rollout can continue and the spread of the new variant could be mitigated. Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva reportedly condemned the UK’s decision, saying that the ban was “without logic”. Furthermore, he informed that he would hold talks with his British counterparts about suspending flights from Portugal. 

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(Image Credit: AP)