California Identifies A Case Of Coronavirus Variant First Seen In U.K.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the first known case of the new and apparently more contagious variant of the coronavirus in the nation’s most populated state. The first U.S. case was found in Colorado.

Office of the Governor / AP

The new highly contagious coronavirus strain from the U.K. has spread to Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday.

He made the statement during an online conversation about the pandemic with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, but Newsom offered little additional information about the circumstances of the diagnosis.

The first case of the coronavirus variant in the U.S. was detected in Colorado on Tuesday. Experts have said it spreads faster than the common strain.