Florida Leads US In Cases Of UK Coronavirus Variant: CDC

Tiffany Razzano
·2 min read

FLORIDA — There are more confirmed cases of a mutated and more contagious coronavirus strain that originated in the United Kingdom in Florida than any other state, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly 10,000 new cases of the original COVID-19 strain were reported by the Florida Department of Health Tuesday. That brings the total number of cases in Florida to 1,589,097, according to state data.

So far, 46 cases of the new coronavirus strain — called B.1.1.7 — have been confirmed in the Sunshine State. California trails Florida with 40 cases, while Colorado has six.

Nationwide, there are 122 confirmed cases across 20 states, including Florida, according to the CDC. The number of cases identified are based on a sampling of positive specimens and don’t represent the total number of B.1.1.17 cases.

This new UK strain could worsen the pandemic in the United States, WFTV reported. According to a CDC report, the variant could spread rapidly and become the predominant strain in the U.S. by March. And if it mutates enough, the CDC said that those who recovered from the original virus could become reinfected.

Additional variants of COVID-19 have emerged in other countries as well — Brazil, South Africa, Japan and Nigeria — reports said.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 vaccination continues in Florida, despite Surgeon General Scott Rivkees saying Tuesday that the state is in a “supply-limited situation,” News4Jax reported. He doesn’t know when Florida will receive additional “first doses” of either FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine — Pfizer or Moderna.

“At the present time, we are in pretty much a supply-limited situation,” Rivkees said. “So, as more vaccine becomes available, we will be able to determine when we can send more vaccines out to hospitals for community vaccination.”

Still, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the continued expansion of the state’s partnership with Publix Tuesday, WINK reported.

The grocery chain’s locations in six additional counties — Brevard, Charlotte, Lee, Martin, Monroe and Palm Beach — will begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday.

This means the COVID-19 vaccine will be available at Publix pharmacies in the following counties:

  • Bay County

  • Brevard County

  • Citrus County

  • Collier County

  • Charlotte County

  • Escambia County

  • Flagler County

  • Hernando County

  • Lee County

  • Marion County

  • Martin County

  • Monroe County

  • Okaloosa County

  • Palm Beach County

  • Santa Rosa County

  • St. Johns County

  • Volusia County

  • Walton County

Appointments to receive the vaccine at Publix in these counties can be made online here as doses are made available.

This article originally appeared on the Sarasota Patch