National

Coronavirus updates: Maryland becomes second state to report case of coronavirus variant that first emerged in South Africa

By Derek Hawkins, Miriam Berger and Meryl Kornfield
Jan. 30, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. EST

The new, highly transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has emerged in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Saturday, marking the second state to report a confirmed case of the mutated virus.

The Republican governor said a Maryland resident had been infected with the variant, known as known as B. 1351, the presence of which was confirmed by Maryland health officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“State health officials are closely monitoring the B. 1.351 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the state,” Hogan said in a statement. “We strongly encourage Marylanders to practice extra caution to limit the additional risk of transmission associated with this variant. Please continue to practice standard public health and safety measures, including mask-wearing, regular hand washing, and physical distancing.”

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Derek Hawkins
Derek Hawkins is a reporter covering national and breaking news. He previously covered cybersecurity for PowerPost and wrote about law, crime and politics for The Washington Post's Morning Mix. Follow https://twitter.com/d_hawk

Miriam Berger
Miriam Berger is a staff writer reporting on foreign news for The Washington Post from Washington, D.C. Before joining The Post in 2019 she was based in Jerusalem and Cairo and freelance reported around the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa and Central Asia. Follow https://twitter.com/MiriamABerger

Meryl Kornfield
Meryl Kornfield is a staff writer on the general assignment desk of The Washington Post. Follow https://twitter.com/merylkornfield