A funeral parlour car drives outside the 28 de Agosto hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Manaus, Brazil. Reuters

Britain’s transport minister said scientists think that COVID-19 vaccines will work on a new variant of the coronavirus found in Brazil and a decision to ban flights from South America and Portugal was made over concerns it spreads faster.

“We had a look at this particular mutation, as opposed to many other thousands very carefully, saw there may be an issue, not so much that the vaccine won’t work, in fact scientists think it will work, but just the fact it is more spreadable,” Grant Shapps told the BBC.

Reuters