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TOKYO: A new variant of the coronavirus was detected in four travelers from Brazil, the Japanese Ministry of Health said on Sunday (January 10), marking a breakthrough in changes in the pandemic virus.
The new variant is different from those first found in Britain and South Africa, although all three share some common mutation, said Takaji Wakita, director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
“I understand that a new variant has been found that is different from that of Great Britain and South Africa,” Wakita told a Health Ministry briefing.
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Characteristics of the new variant are being studied, such as how effective vaccines against it can be and how severe its symptoms can be, said a health ministry official.
Tokyo reported 1,494 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, its lowest daily number since Tuesday.
Japan on Thursday declared a limited state of emergency in the capital and three neighboring prefectures to halt an increase in COVID-19 infections.
Osaka and the surrounding prefectures have also called on the government to extend the state of emergency to contain the outbreak in western cities.
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