Cuomo Confirms 1st Case of New, More Contagious U.K. Strain of Virus in New York

New York is believed to be the fourth state to report a confirmed case of a newest variant of the coronavirus

By Brian Price • Published 3 hours ago • Updated 18 mins ago

New York joined a growing number of states on Monday to confirm the presence of a new strain of the coronavirus that's believed to be at least 50 percent more contagious.

A man in his 60s living in upstate New York has tested positive for the U.K. strain of the coronavirus, known as B.1.1.7., Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on a press call Monday afternoon.

The Saratoga County man had not traveled recently, leading state officials to believe he got the virus through community spread, Cuomo said. "He was symptomatic, but he is on the mend and he's doing better," Cuomo added.

The governor says the man is linked to a jewelry store in Saratoga Springs. He advised anyone who had contact with N. Fox Jewelers at 404 Broadway between Dec. 18-24 to get tested immediately. (The store has been closed since Dec. 24).

Andrew Cuomo
@NYGovCuomo
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.

An individual from Saratoga County, New York, tested positive for the strain. The individual had no known travel history.
3:02 PM · Jan 4, 2021

Link to tweet

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