(WXYZ) — New variant numbers from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services show that two cases of the Brazilian P.1 variant have been confirmed in Washtenaw County.
As of April 7, six P.1 cases have been confirmed in the state.
"We are concerned about the discovery of another variant in Michigan," said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director, in a press release earlier this month when the first P.1 case was discovered in Michigan in Bay County. "It is now even more important that Michiganders continue to do what works to slow the spread of the virus by wearing their masks properly, socially distancing, avoiding crowds, washing their hands often and making a plan to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine once it is their turn. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19 and end this pandemic as quickly as possible."
The P.1 variant was first identified in travelers from Brazil during routine airport screening in Tokyo, Japan in early January. This variant has been associated with increased transmissibility and there are concerns it might affect both vaccine-induced and natural immunity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that as of April 6, there are 356 confirmed P.1 cases in the United States.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.