New York confirms state's first case of more contagious Covid strain

Discovery raises concerns about threats to hospital capacity should it spread rapidly in the state

New York has found its first case of the more contagious variant strain of the coronavirus initially reported in the UK, Andrew Cuomo, the governor, said on Monday.

The discovery raises concerns about threats to hospital capacity should it spread rapidly in the state, especially while efforts to get the public inoculated are behind schedule in the US, leading some states to threaten to redistribute vaccines if hospitals don't get shots into more arms quickly.