A prison in Michigan is reporting 90 cases of a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus originating in the United Kingdom, the state’s health and human services department said Tuesday night. The variant, B.1.1.7., was identified in 88 prisoners and two employees of the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility, located in Ionia County. The outbreak may be worse than already known: According to the department’s statement, over 100 lab results from the prison are still pending. While research is limited, British officials have warned that the variant could be more deadly, though there is nothing yet to suggest it is resistant to vaccines.
