Update, March 1
According to the Florida Department of Health, Volusia County has five reported cases of the B.1.1.7, also known as the U.K. variant, of COVID-19 as of Feb. 28.
Other counties throughout Florida also now report cases of the other COVID-19 variants.
The Florida Department of Health has confirmed one case of the more contagious B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant in Volusia County.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the new strain of the novel coronavirus originated in the United Kingdom and is characterized by being more contagious than the strain of the virus that has spread across the globe since last year.
The CDC said there is no evidence the B.1.1.7 strain can cause more severe illness.
Ninety-two cases of the COVID-19 variant had been reported across Florida as of Jan. 25, according to the CDC.
Volusia County Department of Health spokeswoman Holly Smith confirmed that the state Department of Health detected a case in Volusia. She said the department’s guidance is still the same, variant or not.
“The same basic mitigation measures recommended by the CDC are the best ways to prevent contracting or spreading coronavirus: back up, wash up, mask up and avoid crowds and indoor spaces that are poorly ventilated,” Smith said.
No additional information regarding when or where in Volusia County the case was confirmed was provided by the state Department of Health, Smith told The Beacon.
In the past week, from Jan. 19 to Jan. 26, Volusia County reported 1,784 new cases of COVID-19, according to the most recent data from the state Department of Health.
For more information from the CDC about the COVID-19 variant, click here.
According to the CDC’s website, the CDC regularly collects samples from virus-infected people from across the country to detect different strains of COVID-19. Maintaining awareness of different strains is especially important as vaccines begin to roll out.
As of now, the CDC said, there is no evidence that the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant is resistant to current vaccines.
Those who are feeling sick or worrying that they may have come into contact with a COVID-19-positive-person can find information on the Volusia County website about where to get tested: here.
Registration for Volusia County’s next vaccination clinic on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 28-29, opened today at 9 a.m., and, according to a Facebook post from Volusia County Emergency Management, all the available appointments were reserved in less than 10 minutes.
The Beacon will continue to update our COVID-19 Q&A with more information about COVID-19 and when and where to receive a COVID-19 vaccinations, whenever we receive new information.
