RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – State health officials on Thursday reported the first instance of a coronavirus variant that was first detected in South Africa.
The B.1.351 strain was identified in a sample from an adult “in the central part of the state.” That person had not traveled recently, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release.
“While we anticipated the arrival of the B.1.351 variant in N.C., it’s a reminder that the fight against COVID-19 is not over. The emergence of variants that are more infectious means it’s more important than ever to do what we know works to slow the spread — wear a mask, wash your hands, wait 6 feet apart, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn,” said NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy K. Cohen.
North Carolina is the fourth state in which the variant has been detected. As of Tuesday, nine cases had been identified in residents in South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia, NCDHHS said.
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