NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A man in Colorado has contracted the United States’ first known case of the new COVID-19 strain that has been spreading throughout the United Kingdom, according to the state’s governor.
Colorado health officials “discovered Colorado’s first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the same variant discovered in the U.K,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely,” he said.
The man who tested positive for the strain is in his 20s and has “no travel history,” the governor noted. He is currently isolating in Elbert County.
Scientists in the U.K. have warned that the new strain is “significantly more contagious,” he added.