Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. (Screenshot)
Levine said the coronavirus vaccines are expected to work against the new variant.
HARRISBURG — A new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus has been detected in Pennsylvania for the first time, state health officials announced Thursday.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday that she expects to see more cases.
Levine also said the new vaccines are expected to work against the new variant.
Someone in Dauphin County tested positive for the variant “after known international exposure,” health officials said in a news release. The patient had mild symptoms and has since completed isolation at home, health officials said.
Levine described the case as a “traveler” and not someone who caught the virus through community spread.
The new variant first emerged in Britain, sweeping across that country and prompting a national lockdown, and has since been detected in several states.
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