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Health authorities asked on Friday people who live or travel to the area of Big Bear to Exercise extreme caution and avoid gatherings after several cases of the highly contagious variant of coronavirus first identified in Britain have been confirmed among the local population .
The first two cases of the strain, officially known as B.1.1.7, were detected in the popular tourist area in late December, and two other cases registered in mid-January, were confirmed as the same variant this week , according to a press release from the Bernardino County.
“Cold weather combined with the Super Bowl and optimal skiing conditions will tempt many to gather indoors this weekend.” , said Dr. Michael A. Sequeira , county health officer, in a statement. “But the increasing presence of this dangerous strain makes it extremely important for everyone to avoid any situation that could lead to the transmission of the virus.”
All four area residents confirmed ill with the variant have recovered, authorities said.
Experts expect the UK variant to become dominant in the US in a matter of weeks.
So far, have detected more than 600 cases in 33 states, including 145 cases in California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
