Boris Johnson downplays Brazil Covid-19 variant threat: 'Our vaccines will work'

Boris Johnson played down the dangers amid a huge hunt after health officials admitted they do not know the identity of one of the people infected with the worrying strain, even though they tested positive weeks ago. In all six cases of the P.1 variant first detected in the Amazonian city of Manaus have been confirmed in Britain - three in England and three in Scotland. On a visit to a school in Stoke-on-Trent today, the Prime Minister denied that the country was paying the price for being slow to implement tough controls such as quarantine hotels, saying 'as fast as we could' to bring in a 'very tough regime'. He said a 'massive effort' was under way to prevent new coronavirus variants spreading. Experts believe that the strain can sidestep existing antibodies to some degree, potentially raising questions about the effectiveness of current jabs. Scientists have raised alarm that if the variant takes hold in the UK it could 'slow things down' in the fight to escape lockdown restrictions as it makes vaccines 'so much less potent'. Original Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic... Original Video: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/coro... Daily Mail Facebook:   / dailymail   Daily Mail IG:   / dailymail   Daily Mail Snap:   / 8392137033   Daily Mail Twitter:   / mailonline   Daily Mail Pinterest: http://pinterest.co.uk/dailymail Daily Mail Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DailyMail Get the free Daily Mail mobile app: http://dailymail.co.uk/mobile