Governor Gavin Newsom says the state has confirmed the first cases of a COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa.
The variant has been found in one case each in Alameda and Santa Clara counties.
There are 159 confirmed cases in the state of the variant discovered in the United Kingdom.
The South Africa variant was first detected in South Carolina - and for the first time in the U.S. last month. "Other variants first reported in the United Kingdom and Brazil were previously confirmed in the U.S. Researchers believe these three variants may spread more easily, and predicted it was only a matter of time before they appeared here," according to an AP story.
"Some tests suggest the South African and Brazilian variants may be less susceptible to antibody drugs or antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors, both of which help people fight off the virus," the AP story reported.
In December, it was revealed that the COVID-19 variant, originally found in the UK and then in Colorado, has been detected in Southern California. The first LA County case was reported in January.
Meanwhile, the UK variant will most likely become the dominant strain in the United States by March, according to the CDC.