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| URL | https://www.axios.com/2020/12/27/covid-19-variant-canada-japan-eu |
| Last Crawled | 2026-02-17 10:26:24 (1 month ago) |
| First Indexed | 2022-05-05 12:37:51 (3 years ago) |
| HTTP Status Code | 200 |
| Meta Title | New COVID-19 strain spreads worldwide: Cases in Canada, Japan, EU |
| Meta Description | Some officials worry it may have been spreading unnoticed worldwide, the NYT notes. |
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| Boilerpipe Text | Cases of a
new variant of COVID-19
first detected in England were confirmed by health officials in Canada, Japan and several more European Union countries Saturday.
Why it matters:
While there's no evidence the variant is more deadly than the original strain, British
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's
announcement that it could be 70% more transmissible prompted dozens of countries
to ban travel
from the United Kingdom.
The strain,
called B.1.1.7
, spurred a cases spike that saw
tens of millions
of people in England and Wales lock down over the holidays.
Some officials worry it may have been spreading unnoticed worldwide, as few countries have the kind of
sophisticated genomic surveillance
that enabled British scientists to find the variant, per the
New York Times.
What’s happening:
The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the first two cases in North America of the new coronavirus strain Saturday evening, in the province of Ontario.
The agency noted
in a statement
"these two cases did not travel outside of Canada."
Officials in Japan
said Saturday the country would close its border to all non-resident foreign nationals from midnight Monday through Jan. 31 after
seven people tested positive
for the variant,
broadcaster NHK reports.
In Spain,
Madrid's regional government announced Saturday that four people had become infected with the B.1.1.7 strain,
according to Al Jazeera
.
Sweden's Public Health Agency
said Saturday the strain had been detected in a newly returned traveler from the U.K.,
Reuters notes
.
France's health ministry
confirmed the first B.1.1.7 case in the country late Friday,
per AFP
.
For the record:
Coronavirus vaccines are starting
to be rolled out
across
North America
,
European Union countries
and nations around the world.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
tweeted Saturday
, "Vaccination is the lasting way out of the pandemic."
There's
no evidence
the B.1.1.7 strain can affect the effectiveness of these vaccinations. |
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Dec 26, 2020 - [World](https://www.axios.com/world)
# New coronavirus variant reaches Canada, Japan and several EU countries
- [Rebecca Falconer](https://www.axios.com/authors/rfalconer)
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A COVID-19 assessment center in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Photo: Zou Zheng/Xinhua via GettyImages
Cases of a [new variant of COVID-19](https://www.axios.com/london-lockdown-covid-christmas-restrictions-johnson-uk-99dc9b5d-044b-427a-83d2-38297448abd5.html) first detected in England were confirmed by health officials in Canada, Japan and several more European Union countries Saturday.
**Why it matters:** While there's no evidence the variant is more deadly than the original strain, British [Prime Minister Boris Johnson's](https://www.axios.com/covid-19-mutation-uk-england-what-we-know-99ad5c35-51f7-4aab-9a16-ceff8d18ca88.html) announcement that it could be 70% more transmissible prompted dozens of countries [to ban travel](https://www.axios.com/eu-uk-travel-ban-coronavirus-variant-5e81f185-21f1-487b-911d-155431fda3ed.html) from the United Kingdom.
- The strain, [called B.1.1.7](https://www.axios.com/variants-tracker/), spurred a cases spike that saw [tens of millions](https://www.axios.com/london-lockdown-covid-christmas-restrictions-johnson-uk-99dc9b5d-044b-427a-83d2-38297448abd5.html) of people in England and Wales lock down over the holidays.
- Some officials worry it may have been spreading unnoticed worldwide, as few countries have the kind of [sophisticated genomic surveillance](https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55413666) that enabled British scientists to find the variant, per the [New York Times.](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/26/world/covid-updates-coronavirus#japan-spain-france-virus-variant)
**What’s happening:** The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the first two cases in North America of the new coronavirus strain Saturday evening, in the province of Ontario.
- The agency noted [in a statement](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2020/12/statement-on-the-variants-of-covid-19-virus-found-in-ontario.html) "these two cases did not travel outside of Canada."
**Officials in Japan** said Saturday the country would close its border to all non-resident foreign nationals from midnight Monday through Jan. 31 after [seven people tested positive](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20201226_19/) for the variant, [broadcaster NHK reports.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20201227_02/)
**In Spain,** Madrid's regional government announced Saturday that four people had become infected with the B.1.1.7 strain, [according to Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/26/first-confirmed-cases-in-spain-of-british-virus-variant-regional).
**Sweden's Public Health Agency** said Saturday the strain had been detected in a newly returned traveler from the U.K., [Reuters notes](https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-sweden-variant-idUSKBN2900C6).
**France's health ministry** confirmed the first B.1.1.7 case in the country late Friday, [per AFP](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201226-france-confirms-first-case-on-its-soil-of-british-virus-variant).
**For the record:** Coronavirus vaccines are starting [to be rolled out](https://www.axios.com/one-million-us-coronavirus-covid-vaccine-20432671-5a9e-481c-b99d-2f59f0591898.html) across [North America](https://www.axios.com/canada-first-pfizer-covid-vaccines-next-week-6d1a9afc-e2f4-471a-bb58-7402742de87c.html), [European Union countries](https://www.axios.com/germany-hungary-slovakia-covid-vaccine-eu-8cfb6389-7829-4a03-8c24-5762e0db8998.html) and nations around the world.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [tweeted Saturday](https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1342751465274806273), "Vaccination is the lasting way out of the pandemic."
- There's [no evidence](https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-vaccine-surgeon-general-united-kingdom-4bd7d9b2-e28a-4632-a639-d37e72eee9b4.html) the B.1.1.7 strain can affect the effectiveness of these vaccinations.
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| Readable Markdown | Cases of a [new variant of COVID-19](https://www.axios.com/london-lockdown-covid-christmas-restrictions-johnson-uk-99dc9b5d-044b-427a-83d2-38297448abd5.html) first detected in England were confirmed by health officials in Canada, Japan and several more European Union countries Saturday. **Why it matters:** While there's no evidence the variant is more deadly than the original strain, British [Prime Minister Boris Johnson's](https://www.axios.com/covid-19-mutation-uk-england-what-we-know-99ad5c35-51f7-4aab-9a16-ceff8d18ca88.html) announcement that it could be 70% more transmissible prompted dozens of countries [to ban travel](https://www.axios.com/eu-uk-travel-ban-coronavirus-variant-5e81f185-21f1-487b-911d-155431fda3ed.html) from the United Kingdom.
The strain, [called B.1.1.7](https://www.axios.com/variants-tracker/), spurred a cases spike that saw [tens of millions](https://www.axios.com/london-lockdown-covid-christmas-restrictions-johnson-uk-99dc9b5d-044b-427a-83d2-38297448abd5.html) of people in England and Wales lock down over the holidays. Some officials worry it may have been spreading unnoticed worldwide, as few countries have the kind of [sophisticated genomic surveillance](https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55413666) that enabled British scientists to find the variant, per the [New York Times.](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/26/world/covid-updates-coronavirus#japan-spain-france-virus-variant) **What’s happening:** The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the first two cases in North America of the new coronavirus strain Saturday evening, in the province of Ontario. The agency noted [in a statement](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2020/12/statement-on-the-variants-of-covid-19-virus-found-in-ontario.html) "these two cases did not travel outside of Canada." **Officials in Japan** said Saturday the country would close its border to all non-resident foreign nationals from midnight Monday through Jan. 31 after [seven people tested positive](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20201226_19/) for the variant, [broadcaster NHK reports.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20201227_02/) **In Spain,** Madrid's regional government announced Saturday that four people had become infected with the B.1.1.7 strain, [according to Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/26/first-confirmed-cases-in-spain-of-british-virus-variant-regional). **Sweden's Public Health Agency** said Saturday the strain had been detected in a newly returned traveler from the U.K., [Reuters notes](https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-sweden-variant-idUSKBN2900C6). **France's health ministry** confirmed the first B.1.1.7 case in the country late Friday, [per AFP](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201226-france-confirms-first-case-on-its-soil-of-british-virus-variant). **For the record:** Coronavirus vaccines are starting [to be rolled out](https://www.axios.com/one-million-us-coronavirus-covid-vaccine-20432671-5a9e-481c-b99d-2f59f0591898.html) across [North America](https://www.axios.com/canada-first-pfizer-covid-vaccines-next-week-6d1a9afc-e2f4-471a-bb58-7402742de87c.html), [European Union countries](https://www.axios.com/germany-hungary-slovakia-covid-vaccine-eu-8cfb6389-7829-4a03-8c24-5762e0db8998.html) and nations around the world. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [tweeted Saturday](https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1342751465274806273), "Vaccination is the lasting way out of the pandemic." There's [no evidence](https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-vaccine-surgeon-general-united-kingdom-4bd7d9b2-e28a-4632-a639-d37e72eee9b4.html) the B.1.1.7 strain can affect the effectiveness of these vaccinations. |
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