COVID-19 variant of concern has been detected in South Africa.“We cannot repeat the same mistakes that allowed the Alpha and Delta variants to enter our country.
Our best defense right now is stopping this variant at the border,” Ford said in a statement issued Friday.On Thursday, South African scientists told reporters they detected a new variant — called B.1.1.529 — that has a “very unusual constellation” of mutations, which are concerning because they could help it evade the body’s immune response and make it more transmissible.