(Photo by Stephen Zenner / Getty Images)
PHOENIX – Two cases of the South African COVID-19 variant have been discovered in Arizona, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
ADHS, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health and Translational Genomics Research Institute, reported their findings in a press release on Friday.
The discovery comes two weeks after the Brazilian variant was discovered in the state.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the B.1.351 COVID-19 variant strain – commonly referred to as the South African variant – was first discovered in the US in late January. The British variant was also found in Arizona in January.
The CDC says currently approved vaccines appear to be effective against this variant.
Officials say it is currently unknown how widespread the variant may be in Arizona.
The state’s health department is working with lab and public health partners – including the CDC – to monitor the situation, according to the release.
Health officials are asking the public to continue to pursue mitigation strategies that have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, keeping a physical distance, and washing hands.