New York State's First Case Of Brazilian COVID Variant Detected In NYC, Officials Say
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A New York City resident has tested positive for the coronavirus variant that was first detected in Brazil, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.
This is the first case of the Brazilian variant detected in New York State.
Cuomo says the patient is a Brooklyn resident in their 90s with no travel history.
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Contact tracing is being conducted.
"This is a race between the vaccine and the variants, and we continue to make tremendous progress of getting shots in the arms of eligible New Yorkers. In the meantime we remind New Yorkers to do everything they can to protect themselves and their neighbors as we continue to manage this pandemic," New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement.
The Brazilian COVID variant was first detected in the United States at the end of January. There are currently 48 cases nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The variant is believed to be more contagious.
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In the fight against the coronavirus, Cuomo said Saturday that more than 5 million New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.
Statewide, hospitalizations, ICU patients and intubations due to COVID-19 have dropped to the lowest numbers since early December. The statewide positivity rate is 2.95%.
