Susanna Reid grills Nadhim Zahawi on Brazilian variant

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After it was revealed one case of the Brazilian variant in the UK has “gone missing” as they did not fill out their test and trace form correctly, Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid grilled Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi over what was being done to locate them. As Zahawi detailed surge testing was being carried out to stop the spread of the Brazilian variant, Reid pointed out it was fruitless given they did not know where the missing case was.

Morgan asked: “How do you surge test this person who we don’t know anything about?”

“So the third case which is the person that you’re talking about, we think it’s most likely they had a home test kit or a kit given to them by the local authority,” Zahawi replied.

“What we’re asking is, through your programme and others, if you’ve had a test on the 12 or 13 of February and haven’t had your result yet, because this individual didn’t fill in the test card details. then please come forward and call 119.”

Morgan interrupted: “Why are you telling us this now? We’re in March. This was two weeks ago.”

“So you had lots of questions there in your earlier single question, I am about to get to that,” Zahawi answered.

“If you look at the border controls, they are pretty stringent, the individual who came in who we know about, had the pre-departure test which was negative, they filled in the passenger locator form which is why we know where they are and they isolated.”

Reid cut in to skewer Zahawu as she stated: “We don’t know where they are though.”

“No, I’m talking about the South Gloucestershire case,” Zahawi explained.

Reid snapped: “But we’re not talking about that case. You keep talking about the case you can track and trace and isolate, we’re talking about the one you can’t.”

“That is the one that worries me,” Morgan stated. “Knowing you have some in South Gloucestershire that you can surge test around, that’s one thing.

“Having no idea where this other person who tested positive is, and telling us two weeks after you believe he has tested positive, I don’t understand why it has taken you two weeks.”

Viewers were quick to express their fury over the missing case on Twitter with many calling for stricter measures to be put in place.

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“No international travel should be allowed until all countries have been vaccinated-how can it be fair on other countries who are way behind UK for our citizens to travel freely until they are protected-it would be immoral-holiday in UK its lovely,” one viewer posted.

Another added: “Pathetic really. So much for border control!”

A third continued: “Beaten by someone not filling a form out. Absolute joke of a system.”

The news of the missing Brazilian variant case came to light at the weekend with it being branded a “variant of concern”.

Three cases were detected in England and three in Scotland. Officials in England are still trying to track down one of those who tested positive for the variant.

Three Scottish residents flew to Scotland from Brazil via Paris and London.

Experts are concerned this variant could be more contagious and the vaccines may not be as effective against it.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV at 6am.

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