The World Health Organization announces a new system of naming the COVID-19 variants using the Greek alphabet in order to avoid stigmatizing countries where variants are first detected. According to the new system, B.1.1.7 becomes Alpha, B.1.351 becomes Beta, and P.1 becomes Gamma. Meanwhile B.1.617, which split into sub-lineage B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2, is called Kappa and Delta respectively. 2021-05-31
Argentina reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant in two people who travelled from Paris, as well as its first case of the Lineage B.1.351 variant in a person who travelled from Spain. 2021-05-10
The World Health Organization classifies the Lineage B.1.617 variant as a "Variant of Concern", becoming the fourth variant to be designated as being of global concern after the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants. 2021-05-10
Indonesia reports its first two cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, first discovered in India, in two people from Jakarta. The country also reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.351 variant, first discovered in South Africa, in a person from Bali. 2021-05-3
Wisconsin confirms their first cases of the Lineage P.1 and 501.V2 variant of SARS-CoV-2. 2021-03-26
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
British Columbia reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa. 2021-01-14
Vaccine developer Pfizer announces that lab studies have concluded that the joint Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine remains effective against mutation variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including Variant of Concern 202012-01 and the 501.V2 variant. 2021-01-8
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