PANAMA has registered its first case of a COVID-19 variant matching a strain of the virus detected in South Africa, the Central American country’s health ministry has announced.
The variant was detected in a 40-year-old native of Zimbabwe who entered Panama on January 5 from South Africa. The person did not show symptoms and has been isolated, the ministry said in a statement.
Portugal has also reported its first case of the South African coronavirus variant.
Health institute official Ricardo Jorge told Lusa news agency: “We are undergoing due process to rapidly test and interrupt this potential chain of transmission.”
The country of 10 million people registered a record 234 coronavirus deaths and 13,987 cases on Friday and is currently reporting the highest seven-day rolling average of new cases and deaths per million worldwide according to ourworldindata.org.