South African variant detected in California for the first time

The most infectious variant of the coronavirus first identified in South Africa has surfaced in California for the first time, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday.

The state has identified two cases of the variant, Newsom said: one in Alameda County and one in Santa Clara County, both of which are part of the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

South Carolina was the first state to detect a case of the variant first identified in South Africa in late January. It has since also been detected in Virginia, Maryland and Texas.

Why is this important: This variant spreads more easily than earlier strains of the virus, presenting an additional danger. Researchers are still evaluating the effectiveness of existing vaccines in treating the variant.

It could undermine California’s efforts to bring the pandemic under control, even as transmission rates and hospital admissions decline and the state gradually moves forward to vaccinate more people. The state has also identified more than 159 cases of a variant first identified in the UK in California and more than 1,000 cases of the West Coast variant.

“The issue of transfers is a priority,” Newsom said.