UK health authorities have identified 77 cases of a new CCP virus variant first identified in India, which has two mutations that may contribute to increased transmissibility and resistance to vaccines. In its latest update issued on Thursday, Public Health England (PHE) said the new mutant virus, known as B.1.617, has been designated a “Variant Under Investigation” (VUI) and both PHE and its international partners continue to monitor the situation closely. PHE said 73 cases of the new variant have been found in England, and four in Scotland. The variant was first seen in two Indian states at the end of 2020, and since then has accounted for an increasing proportion of COVID-19 cases in the country, said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 Technical lead at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme. India is experiencing a major wave of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus infections, with 217,353 new …