South African Coronavirus Variant Reported In Montgomery County

ROCKVILLE, MD — Two Montgomery County residents have tested positive for the South African variant of the coronavirus, a health official announced Tuesday.

Dr. Travis Gayles, the county's top health official, told the County Council Tuesday that he received a report about the cases a day earlier.

"I will caution, we have very limited information," Gayles said. "(W)e have two Montgomery County residents who had a preliminary positive result for the South African variant strain of COVID-19."

Health officials are awaiting further information, but Gayles said that "at this time, it is suggested the cases were tied to travel and not community transmission."

The announcement comes three days after state health officials identified its first case of the South African variant. That case involved a Baltimore-area resident who had not recently traveled outside the U.S., officials said.

The B.1.351 variant was first identified in South Africa in October, and the case in Maryland is the third confirmed case in the U.S., based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two cases in South Carolina were detected in late January.

The mutation is believed to be more transmissible than other strains that were first detected in the U.K. and Brazil. There is currently no evidence, however, to suggest that it is more deadly or causes more severe illness.

This story may be updated.