1st Case Of New Coronavirus Strain Confirmed In PA

HARRISBURG, PA — The first case of the new COVID-19 strain first discovered in England last month has been confirmed in Pennsylvania, state health officials said Thursday.

The confirmed case is in Dauphin County, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said. "This variant is the same one that was first discovered in England in December," according to the department's release.

The person in Dauphin County tested positive with the new strain, which is believed to be more contagious, after known international exposure, state officials said.

"A case investigation and contact tracing were performed to identify, inform and monitor anyone who was in close contact with this individual. The individual had mild symptoms, which have since been resolved while they completed their isolation at home," the Department of Health said.

Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Pennsylvania has been preparing for the arrival of the new strain. “Public health experts are in the early stages of working to better understand this new variant, how it spreads and how it affects people who are infected with it."

Experts say the new strain is significantly more contagious than the coronavirus strain that arrived in the United States last year. In the United Kingdom, new lockdowns have recently been imposed to combat the variant's spread.