New York Has First Confirmed Case Of New, Highly Contagious Strain Of COVID
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- That highly transmissible new strain of the coronavirus has been detected in upstate New York.
The state's first confirmed diagnosis of the contagious new strain was detected in Saratoga Springs. The man who tested positive is affiliated with a jewelry store there. The family told CBS2 the business has been closed for 10 days and anybody who was sick has since recovered, CBS2's Nick Caloway reported Monday.
"He did not travel recently, so this suggests that it's in the community," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
NEW: The Wadsworth Lab has confirmed New York State's first case of the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7) of the virus that causes COVID.
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 4, 2021
An individual from Saratoga County, New York, tested positive for the strain. The individual had no known travel history.
Experts say there's no evidence the new strain is resistant to the vaccines, and the infections are no more severe.
MORE: Dr. Max Gomez Breaks Down What Is Known About New Coronavirus Strain Spreading Rapidly In The U.K.
But Cuomo said since it is more transmissible it could lead to more cases and more hospitalizations.
"If a hospital capacity is threatened in a region, then that region would have to close down," Cuomo said.
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CBS2's Nick Caloway contributed to this report