First Case of New Strain Of COVID-19 Shows Up In Virginia

The first confirmed case of a variant strain of the COVID-19 virus is being reported in Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health and the Department of General Services Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services says a sample of an adult resident in Northern Virginia, with no reported recent travel history has come down with the virus. The B.1.1.7 variant first emerged in the United Kingdom in late 2020. The strain is associated with increased person to person transmission of COVID-19. As of Friday, nearly 200 cases of the new strain of virus have been reported in 23 states.