New variant could be in US, fears CDC
French govt eases blockade with Britain, but UK studying whether to tighten curbs to control the new Covid-19 variant
WASHINGTON/LONDON: The new variant of the coronavirus that’s become prevalent in the UK in recent weeks could be in America undetected, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
No cases of the new strain have yet been found in the US, the CDC said on its website on Tuesday. But the agency said viruses have only been sequenced from about 51,000 of the 17 million US cases.
Travel between the countries and the prevalence of the strain in the UK boost the chance it’s already infecting Americans, the CDC said. Since November, the strain has accounted for roughly 60% of new coronavirus cases in London, according to the CDC.
Scientists are working to determine whether the strain is more transmissible, the agency said, and if the currently authorised vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech will protect people against it.
Many countries around the world have closed their borders to travellers arriving from the UK. The US, however, remains open to all travellers arriving from Britain.
In a sort of relief for many, freight from Britain and passengers with a negative virus test began arriving on French shores on Wednesday, after France relaxed a two-day blockade over the new Covid-19 variant that had isolated Britain, stranded thousands of drivers and raised fears of shortages.
AP reporters witnessed a ferry pulling into the French port of Calais before dawn and trains carrying freight and car passengers were allowed to cross to the continent beneath the English Channel again.
People arriving from Britain are required to have a virus test capable of detecting the new variant, according to a late-night agreement reached after 48 hours of frenzied negotiations among French, British and EU authorities.
In the UK, the government is examining whether to put more of England in lockdown to counter the faster-spreading coronavirus variant. Ministers and scientific experts met late on Tuesday after cases of the new strain were identified outside London and southeast England, which were placed into the highest Tier 4 restrictions last weekend.
The government will discuss the latest data soon and “won’t hesitate” to adjust the tiers if needed, housing secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News.