NEW HAVEN COUNTY, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—Two cases of a new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 first discovered in the U.K. were discovered in Connecticut, state officials confirmed Thursday afternoon.
Two patients between the ages of 15 and 25 who reside in New Haven County tested positive for the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, according to Governor Ned Lamont and public health officials.
A State Department of Public Health Laboratory discovered the two cases during an enhanced surveillance testing strategy in collaboration between Yale University and The Jackson Laboratory, Lamont said.
The state has taken action upon discovery such as notifying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducting contact tracing interviews with both people and identifying close contacts, Lamont said.
Both people traveled outside the state, Lamont said, and developed symptoms within a few days of their return. One person traveled to Ireland and the other to New York State, he said.
According to Lamont, one person has completed their self-isolation period. The other is self-isolating at home and will remain there until 10 days after they are symptom free.
"What it means is if you're standing 6 feet away from somebody for less than 15 mins and you're not wearing your mask, the chance of you getting infected, if somebody nearby is infected, has just gone up. So it means to be even more cautious," Lamont said during his COVID-19 update briefing Thursday afternoon.
The good news, Lamont said, is preventative methods against this new variant are the same as those have been encouraged by public health officials throughout the pandemic.
"The mask is just as protective and the vaccine is just as helpful so that's good news," Lamont said.
Public health officials are re-interviewing both individuals in light of the U.K. variant discovery, the governor said.
