Chile confirms infection of 'variant COVID' from UK... First case in Latin America

Woman Returning from Spain... Stayed in UK for One Week Before Entry

On the 24th (local time), medical staff in Santiago, Chile, are waiting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Chile became the second country in Latin America, after Mexico, to start administering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Chile has confirmed the first case of the new variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) originating from the UK in Latin America.

On the 29th (local time), according to CNN and other broadcasts, Paula Daza, Deputy Minister of Health of Chile, announced that a Chilean woman who returned from Madrid, Spain on the 22nd tested positive for the COVID-19 variant virus.

The health authorities stated that the confirmed patient stayed in London, UK for a week before returning from Madrid to meet relatives. She then traveled by plane from Madrid and showed symptoms of COVID-19 infection immediately upon arrival in Santiago, the capital of Chile. The woman took another flight from Santiago to Temuco, a city in southern Chile.

The Chilean Ministry of Health explained, "All emergency measures have been completed, and the confirmed (variant virus) patient has been transferred to a local hospital for management." They added, "The patient is currently in good health, and contact tracing and identification of contacts are being conducted simultaneously."

According to AFP, the Chilean government plans to enforce a mandatory 10-day quarantine for all overseas arrivals starting from the 31st. In particular, arrivals from the UK will have their quarantine period extended to two weeks. However, if they test negative after one week, the quarantine will be lifted.

COVID-19 has been resurging recently in Chile. According to the international statistics site Worldometer, as of this day, Chile has reported a cumulative total of 603,986 confirmed cases and 16,448 deaths. Chile began COVID-19 vaccinations on the 24th, becoming the second country in Latin America after Mexico to start vaccinations.

The COVID-19 variant virus first reported in the UK is known to have a transmission rate up to about 70% higher. It has not yet been confirmed whether the variant virus has a higher fatality rate or whether the already developed COVID-19 vaccines will be effective against it.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.