It was only a matter of time, but local public health has officially confirmed the first known case of the UK variant of COVID-19 in Hamilton.
This mutation of the novel coronavirus, originally identified in the United Kingdom and known as B.1.1.7, has been shown through studies to be a more contagious – and potentially more deadly – variant of COVID-19.
The UK variant of COVID-19 has been identified in a positive COVID-19 case in the city of Hamilton. Modelling and epidemiological studies suggest that the COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom can spread easier and faster.
Release>>https://t.co/frd3CcaJwL
— City of Hamilton (@cityofhamilton) February 17, 2021
No further details about the local case have been made public, but Hamilton public health is continuing to closely monitor the situation; particularly as the city makes its move back to the red zone of Ontario’s COVID-19 reopening framework and sees some previous restrictions relaxed.
Locals are urged to be diligent by staying home whenever possible, getting tested for COVID-19 if experiencing any potential symptoms, avoiding gatherings with people outside of your immediate household, wearing a mask when in public, maintaining at least 2 metres of distance from others, and washing your hands frequently.
Thankfully, there is currently no evidence that the current COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna are rendered any less effective against this new variant; though the city’s vaccination efforts have not yet reached the general population.
Read more on the city website.
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