NEW YORK – New York on Saturday reported the first case of the Brazilian variant of COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a statement.
The Brazilian variant, known as COVID-19 P.1, was found in a Brooklyn resident in his 90s who has no travel history, the governor said.
The case was identified by hospital scientists Mount Sinai in New York City and verified by State Department of Health (DOH) Wadsworth Center Laboratories.
The lab tests about 90 COVID-19 samples every day for positives, the governor said in the statement. So far, the lab has sequences of more than 8,200 samples from across the state, most of these have been randomly selected across the state to ensure geographic representation.
DOH is working with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to learn more about the patient and potential contacts, the governor said.
“The detection of the Brazilian variant here in New York further underscores the importance of taking all appropriate measures to continue to protect your health,” Governor Cuomo said. “While it is normal for a virus to mutate, the best way to protect yourself is to continue wearing a mask, avoid large crowds, physical distance, wash your hands and get vaccinated when it is your turn.”
The news comes the same day that the governor announced that New York has vaccinated to more than 5 million New Yorkers with at least one dose, half of those people have been fully vaccinated against the virus.
“This is a race between vaccine and variants, and we continue to make great progress in delivering vaccines to eligible New Yorkers,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. “In the meantime, we remind New Yorkers to do everything possible to protect themselves and their neighbors.”
The P.1 variant was first detected in the United States in late January, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently reporting 48 cases across the United States. country.
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