UK hunts for mystery person infected with Brazil variant

LONDON: Britain on Monday appealed for a mystery individual infected with a highly transmissible Brazilian variant of the coronavirus to come forward, more than two weeks after the person tested positive but failed to give contact details.

Britain said six cases had been detected of the “P.1” variant, which was identified in the Brazilian city of Manaus, against which existing Covid-19 vaccines appear to be less effective.

Two cases were in South Gloucestershire in England and three in Scotland. But a sixth individual in England, one of more than a million people tested on February 12-13, had yet to be identified.

“If you’ve had a test on the 12th or 13th of February, (and) haven’t had your results back, please get in touch,” vaccination minister Nadhim Zahawi said. “We are working with the postal system to try and locate them.”

The P.1 variant shares significant mutations with a variant first detected in South Africa known as B.1.351, which has raised similar concerns.

Meanwhile, the European

Commission is set to unveil a proposal this month for a “vaccine passport”, which could ease a return to normalcy for those who are immunised.

Finland declared a state of emergency, allowing the government to shutter bars and stop dining at restaurants for three weeks starting on March 8. It’s preparing an aid package to the affected businesses.

In addition, the government may use emergency powers to restrict people’s movements at a later point, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said.