South African COVID-19 variant found in California, Gov. Newsom says

>> WE ARE SEEING TESTING CONTINUE ACROSS THE STATE, THE TESTING IS PROVIDING US A SENSE OF THE COMMUNITY SPREAD THAT HAS ALSO LEAD US TO A DEEPER AND GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF VARIANTS. THE ISSUE OF MUTATIONS IS TOP OF MIND, NOT ONLY HERE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND ACROSS THIS NATION, BUT INCREASINGLY AROUND THE GLOBE. BRIAN: HERE IS MORE ABOUT THE MUTATIONS A GOVERNOR REFERENCED. THE VARIANT FIRST IDENTIFIED IN SOUTH AFRICA, HAS BEEN DETECTED IN TWO PEOPLE IN THE BAY AREA. THESE ARE THE FIRST CONFIRMED CASES OF THE VARIANT HERE IN CALIFORNIA. ONE CASE IS IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND THE OTHER IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. LISA: AS OF TONIGHT THERE ARE 159 DETECTED CASES OF THE VARIANT FIRST IDENTIFIED IN THE U.K. AND 1200 CASES OF THE TWO WEST COAST VARIANTS. [CAPTIONING SPONSORED BY SLEEP TRAIN MATTRESS CENTERS, YOUR TICKET TO A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP!] AS OF NOW, NO CASES HAVE BEEN DETECTED OF THE VARIANT FIRST IDENTIFIED IN BRAZIL. DR. VANESSA WALKER SAYS THESE VARIATIONS JUST REINFORCE THE NEED TO KEEP WEARING MASKS. >> AS LONG AS WE ALLOW THE VIRUS TO REPLICATE, WE ARE GOING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF VARIANTS THAT WE SEE. THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT IS INCREDIBLY CONCERNING. NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT SPREADS RAPIDLY, BUT IT SHOWING THAT THE VACCINES WE CURRENTLY HAVE MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE AGAINST IT, AND THAT IS WHAT WE DREAD. WE DREAD CREATING A VARIANT THAT

Two cases of a COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa have been detected in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday. The cases were detected in Alameda and Santa Clara counties, Newsom said while speaking in Fresno County. "The issue of mutations is top of mind," Newsom said from the site of The Big Fresno Fair. Over the weekend, health officials in South Africa announced a temporary hold on the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after a study suggested it offered "minimal protection" against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 due to the variant, the University of Oxford said. That yet-unpublished study included a relatively small number of people who were young and healthy on the whole. It was not able to measure how effective the vaccine was against severe disease, hospitalization or death.Newsom also said Wednesday that there were also 159 cases of the U.K. variant detected in the state and 1,203 cases of the two known West Coast variants. Overall, 30 labs across the state have done genomic sequencing on 12,000 samples, he said. Some hecklers could be heard during a livestream of Newsom's briefing yelling "recall Gavin." It was unclear how many were protesting the governor. Meanwhile, Newsom said he did not yet have a date to announce a new mass vaccination site in California's Central Valley. On Monday, he said vaccinations at the new site would be aimed at "equity" and in partnership with the federal government. He cited the need to inoculate farmworkers, workers in meatpacking plants, manufacturing facilities and warehouses.Newsom has visited several other mass vaccination sites recently, as the state ramps up its effort to inoculate more Californians. Those sites also include Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Petco Park in San Diego and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.More than 5 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered, according to a dashboard maintained by the state.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Officials have been encouraging Californians to sign up for My Turn, a notification system about vaccine eligibility. The tool is expected to eventually allow people across the state to book vaccination appointments. --CNN contributed to this story.

FRESNO, Calif. —

Two cases of a COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa have been detected in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday.

The cases were detected in Alameda and Santa Clara counties, Newsom said while speaking in Fresno County.

"The issue of mutations is top of mind," Newsom said from the site of The Big Fresno Fair.

Over the weekend, health officials in South Africa announced a temporary hold on the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after a study suggested it offered "minimal protection" against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 due to the variant, the University of Oxford said.

That yet-unpublished study included a relatively small number of people who were young and healthy on the whole. It was not able to measure how effective the vaccine was against severe disease, hospitalization or death.

Newsom also said Wednesday that there were also 159 cases of the U.K. variant detected in the state and 1,203 cases of the two known West Coast variants. Overall, 30 labs across the state have done genomic sequencing on 12,000 samples, he said.

Some hecklers could be heard during a livestream of Newsom's briefing yelling "recall Gavin." It was unclear how many were protesting the governor.

Meanwhile, Newsom said he did not yet have a date to announce a new mass vaccination site in California's Central Valley.

On Monday, he said vaccinations at the new site would be aimed at "equity" and in partnership with the federal government. He cited the need to inoculate farmworkers, workers in meatpacking plants, manufacturing facilities and warehouses.

Newsom has visited several other mass vaccination sites recently, as the state ramps up its effort to inoculate more Californians. Those sites also include Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Petco Park in San Diego and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

More than 5 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered, according to a dashboard maintained by the state.

Officials have been encouraging Californians to sign up for My Turn, a notification system about vaccine eligibility. The tool is expected to eventually allow people across the state to book vaccination appointments.

--CNN contributed to this story.

South African COVID-19 variant found in California, Gov. Newsom says

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