Two suspected cases of what is being described as a more highly contagious strain of the coronavirus, originally identified in England, was detected in San Bernardino County on Friday. The cases, identified among members of the same household in Big Bear, brought the total number of cases of this strain to at least six cases in Southern California. The COVID-19 variant strain labelled B117, seems to spread more easily and quickly according to San Bernardino County Health Officer Michael Sequeira
who stressed how this makes following all safety practices related to curbing the spread more important than ever.” Word of the strain being found in Big Bear came only two days after Governor Gavin Newsom announced California’s first known case of the B117 variant was found in San Diego.