Authorities have confirmed that a Brazilian coronavirus variant known as B.1.1.28 was identified in Colombia over the weekend. The individual is a 24-year-old Colombian-Brazilian woman who sought treatment in the border town of Leticia, but who is currently recovering in Brazil, in the city of Tabatinga.
As the patient is no longer in Colombian territory, her case was not added to the country’s official total. However, given the extensive border shared by the two countries, local health authorities believe it is only a matter of time before different variants spread across the Colombian Amazon.
The Colombian government banned flights from Leticia to other cities in the country and will reassess the situation in the region every 15 days. The country’s vaccination campaign is expected to begin no sooner than February 20.
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