Updated

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state has a confirmed case of a coronavirus variant first detected in the U.K. several weeks ago. The governor said the case involves a Saratoga man in his 60s, who was symptomatic. 

Cuomo said the man has no recent travel history, suggesting the case is the result of community spread. 

The news comes as the U.K. began administering the first doses of AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford's coronavirus vaccine.

FAST FACTS

    • New York sees first case of UK coronavirus variant
    • Patient has no recent travel history
    • The U.K. is experiencing intense virus spread; recording 54,990 new infections and 454 deaths Sunday.

The U.K. is battling an intense period of virus spread amid a mutated strain, logging over 50,000 new daily infections in recent days.

The kickstart of the vaccination program also comes amid talk of U.K. officials backing a decision to extend the period between Pfizer and Oxford's two-dose vaccination regimen to 12 weeks, as opposed to three, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson also defending the idea.

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