VANCOUVER -- Health officials in British Columbia announced two more cases of the U.K. COVID-19 on Thursday, both involving close contacts of the first confirmed case.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the first person to test positive in B.C., who recently returned from a trip to the U.K., has remained in isolation since the illness was confirmed.
However, two of the individual's household contacts have now tested positive for the variant as well.
"There are no other contacts and we don't believe anybody else is at risk of this variant," Henry added.
Health officials have been doing ongoing surveillance for the variant in B.C., testing people who have travelled as well as a selection of others who haven't to monitor for the mutated disease, which is said to be more contagious.
Henry said as of Thursday, B.C. has "not yet found any other cases in B.C. with this variant."
Previously, health officials said it was likely the province would record additional cases of the U.K. COVID-19 variant, given the number of incoming flights from that country before the new restriction were imposed.
B.C.'s first confirmed case lives on Vancouver Island, and returned to the province on Air Canada flight 855 on Dec. 15.
