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As new variants of coronavirus continue to be discovered, here's what you need to know about how these mutations work and how they spread. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Brian Monroe/The Washington Post)

First U.S. case of the highly transmissible Brazil coronavirus variant confirmed in Minnesota

Minnesota officials announced it has confirmed the first U.S. case of a highly transmissible variant that has been spreading in Brazil in recent weeks. Health experts are concerned that vaccines could be less effective against the so-called Brazil variant.

The Minnesota Department of Health said the case involved “a Minnesota resident with recent travel history to Brazil."  
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Moderna announced that its vaccine triggered an immune response against the U.K. and South Africa variants, though the efficacy was diminished for the South Africa variant. The company is conducting new trials.
On Monday, Biden suggested the U.S. could vaccinate people at a much faster clip, saying he hopes for 1.5 million per day, up from 1 million per day. “I think with the grace of God . . . we’ll be able to get that to 1.5 million a day,” Biden told reporters.
California health officials have removed regional stay-at-home orders across the state, allowing a return to county-level restrictions.
Deborah Birx, coronavirus response coordinator under Trump, alleged he was receiving statistics — “parallel data” clashing with what she provided him — from someone else.
The Chicago Teachers Union voted to refuse in-person instruction, two weeks after the nation’s third-largest school district called teachers and staff into classrooms and started to lock them out from remote work.
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Moderna announced that its vaccine triggered an immune response against the U.K. and South Africa variants, though the efficacy was diminished for the South Africa variant. The company is conducting new trials.
On Monday, Biden suggested the U.S. could vaccinate people at a much faster clip, saying he hopes for 1.5 million per day, up from 1 million per day. “I think with the grace of God . . . we’ll be able to get that to 1.5 million a day,” Biden told reporters.
California health officials have removed regional stay-at-home orders across the state, allowing a return to county-level restrictions.
Deborah Birx, coronavirus response coordinator under Trump, alleged he was receiving statistics — “parallel data” clashing with what she provided him — from someone else.
The Chicago Teachers Union voted to refuse in-person instruction, two weeks after the nation’s third-largest school district called teachers and staff into classrooms and started to lock them out from remote work.
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Coronavirus: What you need to know

Covid isolation guidelines: Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change has raised concerns among medically vulnerable people.

New coronavirus variant: The United States is in the throes of another covid-19 uptick and coronavirus samples detected in wastewater suggests infections could be as rampant as they were last winter. JN.1, the new dominant variant, appears to be especially adept at infecting those who have been vaccinated or previously infected. Here’s how this covid surge compares with earlier spikes.

Latest coronavirus booster: The CDC recommends that anyone 6 months or older gets an updated coronavirus shot, but the vaccine rollout has seen some hiccups, especially for children. Here’s what you need to know about the latest coronavirus vaccines, including when you should get it.