People in Lichfield and Burntwood are being urged to continue getting tested for coronavirus after Staffordshire recorded a first confirmed case of the South African COVID-19 variant.
Staffordshire County Council said the individual, from Stafford, had tested positive in January with the new strain of the virus picked up during routine screening.
The person is not believed to have had contact with anyone else, but had no links to international travel.
Dr Nic Coetzee, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health England Midlands, said:
“With new variants emerging all the time and spreading more rapidly, it is not surprising that a case of the South African variant has been found in Staffordshire.
“While there is currently no evidence of the South African variant circulating in the community, we want to be proactive in testing people and stopping the spreading of infection.
“This is a timely reminder to everyone to continue to follow the rules, stay at home, and if they do have essential reasons to leave their home then get tested regularly.”
Dr Nic Coetzee, Staffordshire County Council
Community testing for people without symptoms is taking place at locations across Lichfield, Burntwood and the rest of the county.
Dr Richard Harling, the county council’s director of health and care, said:
“In Staffordshire we are asking everyone who has a legitimate reason for being out and about during lockdown, to make sure they get tested at least weekly at one of our community testing centres for people without symptoms.
“We know that one in three people who have the virus show no symptoms, and this will help us identify more people with Covid who should be isolating, which will help stop the spread of infection.”
Dr Richard Harling, Staffordshire County Council
Tests for people without tests can be booked online.