PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) – An extremely contagious new COVID-19 strain is now present in Pueblo County, the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed Monday.

Several people in the county have tested positive for the Delta variant — and with how infectious it is, many more could soon follow, health officials warn.

“Confirming the Delta variant of COVID-19 is in almost 10 people in Pueblo is concerning, as that strain of the virus spreads more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19,” stated Randy Evetts, public health director at the city-county health department.

Colorado health officials sounded the alarm last week that the Delta strain was becoming more prevalent in the state. Vaccinated Coloradans do have a small risk of contracting the new strain — the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown to be roughly 83-88 percent effective against the Delta variant — but the most vulnerable by far are those who are not protected against the virus at all.

“If you are unvaccinated and exposed to COVID now, your chances of becoming infected are much greater than they were earlier in the pandemic,” state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said during a June 21 news conference, citing the variant’s high-transmissability factor.

The Delta variant is posed to become the most common strain in the state; as of June 21, it accounted for nearly 40 percent of all positive cases in Colorado. In addition to being highly transmissible, severe symptoms appear to be more likely with this variant.

“It can take several weeks to confirm the Delta variant by DNA sequencing at the lab; therefore, it is likely that this variant has been in Pueblo for some time and more cases are likely,” Evetts said.

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