Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday the first known case of the new and potentially more contagious variant of the CCP virus in California. The infection was found in Southern California, Newsom said during an online conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “I don’t think Californians should think that this is odd. It’s to be expected,” Fauci said of the new case in the state, adding that more cases of the variant are likely to surface in the country. The announcement came about 24 hours after the first reported U.S. case in Colorado. The variant, B.1.1.7, is the same as the one discovered in the United Kingdom. Scientists believe the variant is more contagious than others previously identified but is no more severe in the symptoms it causes. They also believe that the vaccines now being distributed will be effective against it. The first B.1.1.7 …