Many countries hope that the impact of B.1.1.7 is yet to come.
This is a disturbing possibility in the United States, which has long had the largest coronavirus outbreak in the world and is in the midst of a post-holiday outbreak. On Friday, federal health experts warned in dire terms that B.1.1.7 was likely to be the country’s dominant source of infection in March.
Almost 20 European countries have found B.1.1.7 so far. In Denmark, on Saturday, authorities said more than 250 cases have been detected in samples collected since November. The country’s health minister predicted that the variant will predominate in mid-February. The country’s coronavirus monitor also said it had identified a case of the variant found in South Africa, Reuters reported.
Many countries in Europe are redoubling their mitigation efforts. A national curfew at 6 pm took effect in France on Saturday, and authorities warned that they could reimpose strict blocking measures. Scotland has tightened already strict restrictions, including a ban on drinking outside and customers from entering establishments to buy takeaway food or coffee. Great Britain and Germany closed schools.
In stark contrast, Spanish authorities refused to impose a new national blockade, arguing that the recent discovery of dozens of cases of the variant was not responsible for the record increase in infections.
On Saturday, Britain reported eight cases of one of the variants found in Brazil, hours after British authorities imposed a travel ban from Latin American countries and Portugal, which is linked to Brazil by its colonial history and by current commercial and travel ties. Italy has also suspended flights from Brazil, announced its Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, on Facebook.
A leading epidemiologist said that a second variant discovered in Brazil was probably already present in Britain.
“We are one of the most connected countries in the world, so I would find it unusual if we hadn’t imported some cases into the UK,” Professor John Edmunds, a member of a group of scientists advising the government on the pandemic, said of the second variant, that was found in the Brazilian city of Manaus.