BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Public health officials have confirmed two more cases of Idaho residents infected with COVID-19 variants, including the first known case of a resident infected with the United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Wednesday that the person with the UK variant infection lives in Ada County and recently traveled out of state. Officials believe she was exposed during her travels, and are working to identify people she had close contact with who may have been exposed.
Public health officials also confirmed that a second person has been infected with the South African variant of coronavirus in Idaho. The first such case was reported last week. Both variants have already been identified in wastewater from several cities in the Boise region, along with a California variant.
Testing for coronavirus variants isn’t widespread in Idaho - with roughly 313 virus samples sequenced so far - but the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories is ramping up those efforts. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will begin reporting coronavirus variant numbers on its coronavirus tracking website next week.
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