Governor Ned Lamont said on Thursday the first two known cases of a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus have been detected in the state.
The two people, described as between the ages of 15 and 25, live in New Haven County and each had traveled recently outside Connecticut. One to Ireland and the other one to New York state.
“As we said last week, given the speed of this new strand of the virus and its identification in several states throughout our country, we presumed it was already in our state and this information this morning confirms that fact,” Governor Lamont said. “This another reason why everyone should continue taking precautions to prevent transmission of this disease, including wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing. 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.”
Genetic sequencing showed the cases are unrelated, the governor’s office said. The more contagious variant of the virus was first identified in the United Kingdom.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were notified by Connecticut's Department of Health about the cases.
“The U.K. variant is widely assumed to be more highly transmissible than other strains of the virus,” Connecticut Public Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said. “However, our current vaccines should be effective against this strain, and we continue to urge everyone who is currently eligible to get the vaccine to do so. Not everyone who tests positive will know whether they have this particular strain of the virus, so it is imperative for people to continue to follow all the public health guidance – continue to wear masks, social distance, and avoid gatherings with anyone outside your household. And if you test positive for COVID-19, you must isolate and take all precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.”