Brazil policy shortfalls will see new COVID outbreaks

Significance

The discovery of a new variant of the virus (P1) in Manaus has prompted renewed concerns as the city is suffering a severe second wave, months after a first wave that reportedly affected most of its population. The spread is set to continue, not least because of the difficulty of maintaining restrictions on movement.

Impacts

• Problems with vaccine roll-outs are likely to lead to renewed outbreaks across Brazil.
• Fragmentation of policies at the state and local level will hamper an effective response.
• Obstacles to research programmes will hinder efforts to map the evolution of the virus.