An empty Times Square is seen during the virtual New Year's Eve event following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 31, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
New York state has found its first case of the U.K. variant of coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
A man in his 60s who lives in Saratoga County in upstate New York tested positive for the B117 variant, Cuomo said. The man had not traveled recently, which suggests it was the result of community spread, Cuomo said on a conference call.
The state has done about 5,000 tests looking for the new strain, Cuomo said. The new strain is more transmittable, he said, which could be a problem as the state deals with rising hospitalizations.
The man is affiliated with N. Fox Jewelers, a store in Saratoga Springs, and there are three other coronavirus cases stemming from the store, Cuomo said. The state is still testing whether those cases are also B117.
The store was closed from Dec. 24 through New Year’s, but the state is asking anyone who was at the store between Dec. 18 and Dec. 24 to get tested.
