Coronavirus variant cases on the rise in Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Florida has seen a big jump in the number of cases caused by coronavirus variants. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of the so-called U.K. variant have more than doubled to nearly 2,300 in Florida since last week. Overall cases in several states, including Florida, have been trending slightly higher. AdSince the coronavirus was first discovered, new variants of the virus have been documented in the United States and around the world. This variant was first detected in the United States at the end of December 2020.
UK opens quarantine hotels, pushes on with vaccine drive
Passengers arriving at Londonโs Heathrow Airport were escorted by security guards to buses that took them to nearby hotels. Some of the travelers said they had tried and failed to make it to Britain before Monday to avoid the quarantine. AdVisiting a London vaccination center on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the โunbelievable effortโ by scientists, medics, pharmacists, members of the military and volunteers that had achieved Europeโs fastest vaccine rollout. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the vaccination drive is now being extended to people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions. Britain has had Europeโs worst coronavirus outbreak, with more than 117,000 deaths, though Infections and deaths are now falling steadily after more than a month of national lockdown.
UCF student diagnosed with U.K. coronavirus variant
ORLANDO, Fla. โ A student at the University of Central Florida has been diagnosed with a variant of the coronavirus first found in the United Kingdom and thought to be more easily transmissible. The unidentified student tested positive this week, Michael Deichen, associate vice president of UCF Student Health Services said Thursday in a statement on the university's website. University officials said the student was isolated and contact tracing measures were taken. AdDr. Raul Pino from the Florida Department of Health in Orange County said the student did not live on campus. Tens of thousands of college students around the nation have tested positive for the virus, and some campuses have seen spikes in cases with students returning to campus.
Minnesota case marks 1st detection of Brazil variant in US
Britain is the fifth country in the world to record 100,000 virus-related deaths, after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, and by far the smallest. The Brazilian variant was first identified in four travelers who were tested at an airport outside Tokyo, Japan. The CDC has reported at least 195 cases of the U.K. variant in the United States. The South African variant has not been discovered in the United States. Reinfection is rare, but Brazil has confirmed a case in someone with the new variant who had been sickened with a previous version several months earlier.