Heavyweight! Canada has confirmed the first case of the new South African virus! The nation is on alert for a curfew to start here!
Alberta has detected a case of a variant of the Chinese Communist virus first found in South Africa, the first time the more contagious virus has appeared in Canada. Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of Alberta, posted the news of the discovery of the South African variant of the virus later in the day via Twitter.
She said the confirmed case came from a traveler who had only recently returned to Canada from abroad. The person in question should have contracted the virus while traveling and is currently in quarantine and isolation, and there is no evidence yet that the virus has spread in this country. “We are actively monitoring these variants of the virus and are committed to protecting the health of the public.” It is unclear where in the province the case was found. Alaska reported 1,183 new cases and 24 deaths Friday.
Just earlier in the day, federal officials had also said the South African variant of the virus had not yet been detected in Canada. A spokeswoman for the National Institute of Public Health said by email that all of its experts were having a “rare weekend” and that they would look into the matter on Monday.
In late 2020, South Africa’s Department of Health said it had reported a new genetic mutation of the coronavirus, the South African variant of the new coronavirus 501.V2, which is more transmissible than the original new coronavirus and quickly spread along the country’s coastline, causing a surge in cases. Experts say this variant of the virus is similar in infectivity to the variant found in the United Kingdom and is about 70 percent more contagious than the common strain of New Coronavirus. And, this variant may affect the function of the vaccine to some extent. Scientists around the world are conducting research on this variant of the virus and do not rule out the possibility that stricter quarantine measures may need to be imposed on the entire community in the future to control the spread of the virus.
Another variant of the faster-spreading New Coronavirus previously found in the UK has been found in Canada in 14 cases, six in Ontario, four in Alberta, three in B.C. and one in Quebec. The good news is that the new coronavirus variant that is spreading in South Africa may reduce the effectiveness of the existing new coronavirus vaccine, but is unlikely to render it completely ineffective, according to leading researchers studying new coronavirus mutations and vaccines, the Wall Street Times reports.
For his part, Pfizer virus vaccine scientist Phil Dormitzer said it is encouraging that the Pfizer vaccine appears to be effective against this mutation (N501Y), as well as the other fifteen mutations the company has previously tested. A joint laboratory study conducted by Pfizer and the University of Texas Medical Branch has shown that the company’s new coronavirus vaccine is effective against new strains of the new coronavirus found in places such as South Africa and the United Kingdom. Although this is only a preliminary study and has not yet been reviewed by experts, such results are equally encouraging.
Meanwhile, the variant of the virus first discovered in South Africa has an additional mutation called E484K, a variant that is new to scientists. It is not yet clear whether the vaccine will work against the E484K mutation, and they will continue to experiment with it in the coming weeks. The Moderna vaccine, also started in Canada, appears to be able to fight off the variant that has emerged in the UK and South Africa.
The company’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel, said studies have found that the Moderna vaccine is highly likely to work against the new coronavirus variants that have emerged in the U.K. and South Africa. He said, “If the virus continues to mutate, it could cause the vaccine to fail within a year to two years, but we will quickly develop a new vaccine to be administered at the same time as the previous one.” The researchers said the novel mRNA (synthetic messenger RNA) technology used in the Pfizer and Modena vaccines allows them to adjust to new viral mutations within six weeks.
For his part, Madhesi, the lead researcher on the Oxford/AstraZeneca-developed vaccine and Novavax Inc.’s (NVAX) trial in South Africa, said the vaccine’s effectiveness may be diminished. Meanwhile, several Canadian regions have stepped up their preparedness measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Two maritime provinces announced measures Friday to tighten their borders. As of 8 a.m. Jan. 9, those entering Nova Scotia from New Brunswick will have to be quarantined for 14 days. New Brunswick, for its part, announced a ban on all non-essential travel into the province. The Quebec government introduced a four-week curfew to prevent the epidemic, starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 9). During the following four weeks between 8 p.m. each day and 5 a.m. the next, no one except essential trades workers will be allowed outside their homes.
The day before, 617 new cases were reported in B.C., for a total of 56,632 new crowns in B.C. In addition, there were 18 more deaths related to new infections in B.C., making a total of 988 deaths from new infections in the province. Previously, B.C. also continued its province-wide ban on social gatherings and events, which was extended until Feb. 5.
Under the current public health directive, police and provincial law enforcement officers can issue citations for.
-issuing $2,300 citations to event hosts/preparers who violate the provincial health officer’s directive.
-$230 citations to patrons/attendees who violate a Provincial Health Officer directive.
-$230 citation to a person who violates a face-covering directive.
-$230 citation to a person who treats an enforcement officer in a rude or provocative manner or refuses to follow the officer’s instructions.
In addition, the court may impose a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to one year for serious violations.
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