Coronavirus

19 Covid Samples From USVI Return Positive For Highly Contagious U.K. Variant in Preliminary Testing; Full Results to be Provided by Yale University Wednesday

The V.I. Dept. of Health announced Monday that nineteen Covid-19 samples sent out for testing returned a preliminary positive result for the Covid-19 U.K. variant, the highly transmissible strain of the virulent disease that has since spread throughout the U.S. and other continents. Dept. of Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion made the announcement during the Bryan administration's Covid-19 press briefing Monday. "We recently announced the preliminary identification of the B117 Covid-19 variant, also called the UK variant. A total of nineteen of the samples came back with the preliminary result," she said. "The B117 variant is more contagious but does not necessarily make those exposed sicker..." the commissioner added. She also said final results would be provided by Yale University on Wednesday.  The U.K. variant is believed to be up to 50 percent more contagious than the dominant strain, but health officials say the current strategy of wearing masks and social distancing works ...