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PHOENIX – The faster-moving COVID-19 variant has been detected in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Services said in a press release Friday night.
AZDHS, the Department of Public Health of Maricopa County, the Public Health Services of Pinal County and Arizona State University report that the variant (B.1.1.7) has been confirmed in three test samples of the state.
Although the variant is spreading faster, according to the statement, studies suggest that vaccines authorized to fight COVID-19 are still effective against the variant.
According to the statement, it is not known to what extent the variant could be extended to Arizona.
The United Kingdom identified the new strain in the fall of 2020, with the first case of the variant detected in the United States in late December.
Health officials say it is typical for viruses to change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. According to the statement, some new variants appear and disappear, while others appear and persist.
The state health department is working with laboratory and public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control, to monitor the situation, according to the statement.
Health officials are urging people to follow proven mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, and washing hands.
Arizona health officials reported 5,028 new coronavirus cases and an additional 203 deaths from COVID-19 on Friday.
The state’s documented total moved to 748,260 infections and 13,022 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services ’COVID-19 board.