3 more cases of UK COVID-19 variant detected in NY, including 1 on Long Island

Three more cases of the UK COVID-19 variant have been found in New York, including one on Long Island, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday.

News 12 Staff

Jan 9, 2021, 10:19 PM

Updated 1,365 days ago

Share:

Three more cases of the UK COVID-19 variant have been found in New York, including one on Long Island, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday on a call with members of the media.
The Long Island case was found in Nassau County. Cuomo says a 64-year-old Massapequa man tested positive for the virus strain that has been spreading through parts of Great Britain.
Cuomo says the Long Island case is not connected to any of the other variants that have been found in the state. The Nassau County Health Department says it's conducting contract tracing.
The other two new variant cases are linked to the Saratoga Springs jewelry store where New York's first case of the UK variant was detected.
That brings the total variant cases detected in New York to four so far. There's been a total of about 55 cases of the variant across the country, Cuomo says.
The strain of the virus that's spreading in the United Kingdom is believed to be 70% more transmissible, officials have said. But Dr. Mark Jarrett, with Northwell Health, says the new strain is no more deadly than the original version of COVID-19 and vaccines will likely protect against it.
In a tweet Saturday, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran urged residents to stay vigilant and follow virus guidelines.