EL PASO COUNTY — A variant form of COVID-19 has arrived in southern Colorado.
The El Paso County Health Department has reported 109 confirmed cases of the Delta coronavirus in the county. Ten cases have now also been reported in Pueblo County.
The Pueblo Health Department said this variation of the virus is concerning because of how contagious it is and the reduced effectiveness of treatments and vaccines against it.
It's too early to tell what impacts the variant could have on Pueblo.
"We are waiting to see, we are watching this very closely. Obviously, number one is get people vaccinated so they can prevent the spread of any variant from alpha through delta. We obviously want people to stop the spread of the infection. We still want people to use the prevention strategies we also know work," Dr. Christopher Urbina with the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment said.
The Pueblo Health Department also said the variant has likely been in Pueblo for some time and more cases are likely.
