Virus strain in Japan via Brazil

TOKYO/ LONDON: Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases said authorities have found a new strain of the coronavirus in four passengers arriving from Brazil.

The new variant has similarities to those found in the UK and South Africa, the NIID said in a statement on Sunday. The information about the new strain is limited to its genetic make- up, and it’s difficult to determine at the moment how infectious it is, NIID said.

In the UK, as the number of Covid deaths crossed another grim figure of 80,000, authorities are grappling with thousands of ailing medical staff going on leave amid increasing caseload on hospitals and growing concerns of vaccine scamsters targeting the elderly and vulnerable.

“Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates across the entire country continue to soar at alarming rate,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. “The vaccine has given us renewed hope in our fight against the virus but we must not be complacent. The NHS is under severe strain and we must take action to protect it.”

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip received their Covid-19 vaccinations on Saturday, said Buckingham Palace.

Germany on Sunday reported 40,000 fatalities since the pandemic began a year ago, with Chancellor Angela Merkel warning the worst was still to come.

Globally, more than 1.9 million people have now died from the virus, with new variants adding to cases and prompting the reimposing of curbs.

China is seeing a growing outbreak south of Beijing, more than 380 people testing positive in Hebei province. Authorities said that 40 new cases had been confirmed on Sunday.