Connecticut confirms first 2 cases of new UK COVID-19 strain: Lamont
HARTFORD, CT (1010 WINS) -- Connecticut has confirmed its first known cases of the new COVID-19 variant originally found in the United Kingdom, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday.
Two New Haven County residents between the ages of 15 and 25 tested positive for the strain, which is believed to be more contagious than the original strain, Lamont said in a tweet.
One resident traveled to Ireland prior to testing positive; the second traveled to New York state, he said. Both developed symptoms three to four days after they returned, he said.
One of the residents has already completed their isolation period, while the other is currently self-isolating at home. Genetic sequencing "has confirmed that the two cases are unrelated," Lamont noted.
"As we said last week, given the speed of this new strand of the virus and its identification in several states throughout the country, we presumed it was already in our state and this info this morning confirms that fact," he said. "This is another reason why everyone should continue taking precautions to prevent transmission of this disease, including wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, and avoiding gatherings with people outside your household."
"The health of Connecticut residents remains our top priority, and our public health officials will continue to closely monitor these cases and any other developments with this contagious virus," he added.
