RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Health announced on Friday that the first two cases of the COVID-19 variant P.1 have been identified in samples from Virginia residents.
One case was identified in an adult resident of the Northwest Region, who had a history of domestic travel during the exposure period.
The other case was identified in an adult resident of the Eastern Region with no history of travel.
The P.1 variant was first identified in travelers from Brazil in late 2020, this variant is associated with increased person-to-person transmission of the virus.
The P.1 variant has been identified in at least 22 other U.S. states.