A more infections variant of COVID-19 that has swept through the United Kingdom has been identified in Florida, state health officials said on Thursday, marking the third known US state to identify such a case.
The Florida Department of Health said the case involved a male in his 20s in Martin County with no history of travel. Two other cases involving the UK variant have been identified in Colorado and California.
"The Department is working with the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on this investigation," it tweeted.
On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 had been identified in Southern California.
A day earlier, Colorado Governor Jared Polis said the variant had been identified there, while another state health official said a second possible case was being investigated.
The cases, found in individuals who had not recent traveled, showed the likely community spread of the variant from person-to-person in the United States. Health experts have said they believe the new variant is more infectious but recently approved vaccines should provide protection against it.
Keiko Fujimori declared winner of Peru presidential race
Ukrainian rescuers clear rubble as Kyiv mourns 30 killed in Russian attack
Monaco blast suspect is a Ukrainian woman who fled to Germany
Clinical trials begin for two potential Ebola treatments
India issues notice to Telegram, Signal on concerns over usernames, source says
Blast at Damascus cafe kills nine, wounds 20
Rebels in Indonesia's Papua kill American pilot, burn plane
Russian air strikes kill 10, injure more than 50 in Ukraine's Kyiv
