Pfizer announces a revised efficacy rating of 91.3% for its vaccine candidate, down from its original rating of 95%, and affirms that protection afforded by the vaccine lasts for at least six months. Pfizer also announces that the vaccine appeared to provide protection against the 501.V2 variant in 100% of cases during its South African trial run. 2021-04-1
India reports their first four cases of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa and one case of the Lineage P.1 variant from Brazil in people who traveled internationally. 2021-02-16
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces a statewide isolation order in Tyrol beginning February 12 in order to prevent the spread of the 501.V2 variant. Residents will have to present a negative COVID-19 test result from the last 48 hours in order to leave the state. 2021-02-9
South Africa suspends its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZenenca vaccine after research finds that the vaccine is less effective against the 501.V2 variant discovered in the country. 2021-02-7
Vaccine developer Novavax announces that their vaccine candidate is 89% effective in preventing severe COVID-19, based on trial data from the United Kingdom; their vaccine was less effective against new variants of the virus, based on data from South Africa. 2021-01-28
British Columbia reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa. 2021-01-14
Baden-Württemberg reports Germany's first case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a family that travelled from South Africa. 2021-01-12
France reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man who travelled from South Africa to the Haut-Rhin region and later tested positive for COVID-19. 2020-12-31
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces a ban on travel from South Africa due to the discovery of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa. 2020-12-23