Covid: Four more people test positive for Brazil Covid variant as overall case rates fall
Four new cases of the Brazil Covid variant have been identified in England, health authorities have said.
Amid a backdrop of falling coronavirus case rates across the country, Public Health England (PHE) announced a further four variant cases had been confirmed - bringing the total to 10 across England and Scotland.
The variant, called P1 and first detected in the Brazilian city of Manaus, has been labelled a "variant of concern" and fears have been raised its spread could delay England's roadmap out of lockdown.
Three new cases have been found in South Gloucestershire and are said to be close or household contacts with the two cases previously discovered in the area.
The other case was found in Bradford, West Yorkshire, after the person tested positive late last month having travelled back from Brazil via Paris on February 14.
A PHE statement said: "Contact tracing teams have followed up close contacts of the individual and advised them to isolate and get a test."
The update comes as coronavirus case rates continue to fall in all regions of England, according to the latest weekly surveillance report from PHE.
What is the rate of new cases in your area?
In Yorkshire and Humber the rate of new cases stood at 97.6 per 100,000 people in the seven days to March 7 – the highest rate of any region, but down from 115.6 in the previous week.
The East Midlands recorded the second highest rate: 84.0, down from 122.9.
The North East had the third highest rate: 76.7, down from 102.2
Followed by the North West - with a case rate of 73.0, down from 106.3.
The West Midlands was next, with a rate of 71.0, down from 106.1.
The East of England reported a rate of new cases of 47.4, down from 68.0.
London is now down to 38.9 - a fall from 55.1 recorded the week before.
Second lowest across England was the South East with a rate of 34.4, down from 52.1.
South-west England recorded the lowest rate: 32.3, down from 43.9.
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