The first confirmed case of the new highly, contagious variant of the coronavirus from Great Britain has been identified in Charlevoix County.
Local health officials say an adult male had traveled out of state while contagious. He tested positive when he returned. The health department was notified late Sunday.
Health officials say the man is recovered and is past the contagion period. They remind people to continue to take steps to slow the spread of COVID by wearing a face mask, staying six-feet apart and avoiding indoor gatherings.
The same coronavirus variant was identified late Sunday in Eaton county. That person was not hospitalized, but no other information is being released at this time.
B-1-1-7 first appeared in the United Kingdom. It was first detected in Michigan last month in a patient in Washtenaw County.