The California Department of Public Health has discovered two cases of the United Kingdom COVID-19 variant — known as B.1.1.7 — in Santa Barbara county residents, the Santa Barbara County Public Health department said in a press release on March 18.
The press release said that the cases were not related and neither individual had traveled abroad. Both residents have finished their isolation period and are no longer infectious, and no other individuals have tested positive for the U.K. variant thus far.
The two most prominent variants in Santa Barbara county continue to be California variants B.1.429 and B.1.427, according to the press release.
“The discovery of this concerning variant in our community serves as a reminder that we are still in a pandemic and things may shift quickly in the wrong direction if we let our guard down,” Van Do-Reynoso, director of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, said in the press release.
“It is critical that everyone continue wearing their masks, practice social distance and limit gatherings,” she said. “If you test positive or if you’ve been exposed to a positive case, please adhere to isolation and quarantine guidelines.”
