North GA — The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) announced yesterday there are 19 cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 identified in Georgia, including one case in Cherokee County, located in the North Georgia Health District. This COVID-19 variant is commonly known as the UK variant because it was discovered in England, and it is now in several other countries and U.S. states. Currently, this is the only new variant in Georgia.

The other Georgia cases were identified in Carroll, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Paulding counties.

Case investigation and contact tracing to identify, inform and monitor anyone who was in close contact with these individuals are ongoing. However, officials advise that the virus could be identified anywhere so we must take the same precautions as if a case had been identified nearby.

“We are still not certain whether this variant of the virus causes more severe illness than the more common coronavirus, however, we do know that it seems to spread more easily and quicker,” said Zachary Taylor, MD, MS, district health director of District 2 Public Health and interim health director of North Georgia Health District 1-2. “With the presence of a more contagious variant, we must be even more vigilant to protect against it and continue taking the necessary steps to avoid spreading the virus – wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid gatherings.”