New Jersey registers first known US death ifrom the UK COVID-19 variant and South African varient detected in U.S.

New Jersey registers first known death in the US from the UK COVID-19 variant The new variant is more transmissible and has contributed to a large spike in cases in the United Kingdom. Azmi Haroun Business Insider

New Jersey state health commissioner Judy Persichilli announced Wednesday that one person has died from the UK-identified coronavirus variant, marking the first known US death from the new strain.

The new variant is more transmissible and has contributed to a large spike in cases and deaths in the UK.

"It's more important than ever with the variant to continue to mask up, social distance, stay home when you're sick," Persichilli said at the press briefing. Officials added that there are at least six cases of the new strain identified in New Jersey, but that the data is "soft."

Persichilli added that one of those individuals traveled internationally.

Eddy Bresnitz, a COVID-19 adviser for New Jersey said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has geared up testing for variants, and Gov. Phil Murphy added that with the new variant identified, New Jersey and the federal government need to move faster on vaccine distribution. ...

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