The health department says one person had recently returned from a domestic trip before he became ill and the second person determined to have the variant was a close contact with the first person.
An additional case is suspected to be the UK’s COVID-19 variant and is under investigation, the Department of Health said.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that the UK variant is more infectious than other strains of the virus, and that other strains of COVID-19 originated in Brazil and South Africa. Early studies show that vaccines COVID-19 administered across the country are effective against the new variants, says the CDC.
“This variant strain is considered to be more contagious, which reinforces the importance of continuing to wear a mask, staying away from physical activity, staying at home when sick, getting tested and being quarantined when exposed to someone with a positive test,” said Kirby Kruger, the Department of Health’s director of disease control, on Wednesday. “Getting the vaccine when it’s your turn is another great way to prevent the spread of the variant strain.”
As of Tuesday, February 16, there were 1,299 confirmed cases caused by COVID-19 variants in the U.S., with at least 42 states reporting confirmed cases of the UK strain, according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends using a mask that fits your face perfectly and using a multi-layered mask. Adding layers, such as combining a fabric mask and a disposable mask, is useful to prevent respiratory droplets from escaping.
The North Dakota Department of Health on Wednesday, February 17, reported a relatively small increase in active COVID-19 cases.
No new deaths were reported on Wednesday, but at least 1,431 North Dakota residents died from or with COVID-19 during the pandemic, according to the health department. Over 61% of deaths occurred in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
COVID-19 hospitalizations declined slightly on Wednesday for 43 residents, which is significantly less than the more than 350 North Dakotans who were hospitalized in November.
North Dakota has been a leader in the United States in administering the COVID-19 vaccine to residents, according to the CDC. The state says it administered more than 166,000 doses of the vaccine by Wednesday and more than 50,000 received both doses.
Active COVID-19 cases in North Dakota increased slightly on Tuesday to 797 residents known to be infected with the virus. This is the lowest number of active cases registered by the state since July.
The department reported 123 new cases on Wednesday, including:
About 2.2% of the 5,457 residents tested as part of the last batch received a positive result, and the average positive rate of those tested in the past two weeks is about 2.5%.
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Readers can contact reporter Michelle Griffith, a member of Report for America, at [email protected].