U.K.’s Johnson Moves to Reassure Britons Over New Virus Strain

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to reassure the public over the emergence of a Brazilian variant of the coronavirus in Britain, saying there is no reason to think vaccines will be ineffective against the mutation.

Six cases of the variant, which originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, have been detected in the U.K., according to Public Health England.

While five have been found, the identity of the final patient is still unknown because they failed to complete a test registration card. Ministers are now appealing to anyone who took a Covid-19 test on Feb. 12 or 13 and hasn’t yet had a result to contact the National Health Service.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Johnson rejected claims that the U.K’s quarantine policy -- which was finally introduced on Feb. 15 -- had been too slow to prevent concerning variants from entering the country.

“It’s a very tough regime,” he said. “We don’t have any reason at the present time to think that our vaccines are ineffective against these new variants of all types.”

PHE said in a statement Sunday that the Brazilian variant, known as P1, has been designated “of concern” because it shares some “important mutations” with the variant first identified in South Africa. “It is possible that this variant may respond less well to current vaccines, but more work is needed to understand this,” it said.

‘Right pace’

The emergence of the new variant on British soil comes at a crucial moment, because the pace at which England’s national lockdown is unwound will depend on infection rates and hospitalizations continuing to fall. All schools are set to go back on March 8, more than two months after they were closed, and shops and outdoor hospitality are due to open next month.

Johnson told reporters during a visit to a school that the government was “going at the right pace” in easing lockdown restrictions. “Getting all schools open on March 8 is something that we have set our hearts on for a long time and I am confident we will be ready,” he said.

“What we are doing is embarking now on a journey, a one-way road map to freedom, and it is designedly cautious in order to be irreversible.”

Earlier on Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Susan Hopkins, PHE’s strategic response director, briefed members of Parliament on the new variant in a Zoom call. Hancock will chair a press conference later on Monday.

Richard Graham, a Conservative MP who represents Gloucester, where two cases of the variant were found, said on Twitter that the “current assessment is situation in that household is under control and no threat to schools reopening there or further Gloucestershire.”

Health officials are contacting all passengers on the Feb. 10 Swiss Air flight LX318 from Sao Paulo to London Heathrow via Zurich in order to test them and their households, PHE said.

Compulsory hotel quarantine is now in place for arrivals from 33 countries and territories, including Brazil, while those coming from elsewhere are asked to isolate at home.

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