Multiple cases involving a new COVID-19 variant driving disease numbers higher in Asia have been reported in international travelers arriving in California, Virginia, Washington state, and the New York City areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s airport screening program has revealed.

The cases are linked to the NB.1.8.1 variant of the virus, which is linked to a large surge of the disease in China, reports CBS News Friday, about records uploaded by Ginkgo Bioworks, the CDC’s airport testing partner. 

The cases are being reported among travelers from several countries between April 22 and May 12, according to sequencing results published on the GISAID, or Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, virus database. 

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