New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that the first case of the more contagious strain of the coronavirus had been diagnosed in the state, Reuters reported.
Cuomo said that a man in his 60s living in a town north of Albany has the new strain. The man, who is recovering, had not traveled recently, suggesting community spread is taking place.
New York has carried out 5,000 tests for the new strain and so far has only found the one case. Cuomo said it could be a “game changer” if the new strain increases hospitalizations and forces regions to close down.
The new strain was first discovered in Britain, causing the country to announce a stay at home order for part of the country.
In addition, several countries have temporarily stopped flights from Britain in an attempt to stop the variant from reaching these countries.
The first case of the new strain in the United States was discovered in Colorado last week.
A day later, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that a case of the variant had been detected in Southern California. The new strain was later discovered in Florida as well.