Argentina confirms first cases of COVID-19 variants detected in Brazil

Argentine Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia confirmed on Monday the first cases in the country of the COVID variants detected in Brazil.

BUENOS AIRES, 

Argentine Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia confirmed on Monday the first cases in the country of the novel coronavirus variants detected in Brazil. The official indicated that the P. 1 variant was detected in two samples and the P. 2 variant in two other samples recently, with all travelers coming from Brazil.

"These findings highlight the importance of active genomic and epidemiological surveillance in order to monitor the introduction of these variants into our country," Gonzalez Garcia said. Argentina confirmed on Jan. 16 the first case of a person carrying the COVID-19 variant detected in the United Kingdom.

Argentina confirmed 1,980,347 infections and 49,171 deaths by Sunday, as it extended its social, preventive and mandatory distancing measures until Feb. 28. 

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