"Today we discovered Colorado’s first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the same variant discovered in the United Kingdom," Polis said in the statement on Tuesday. "The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely."

The Governor's office said in a separate statement that the patient is a man in his 20s with no travel history and is currently in isolation in Elbert County, Colorado.

The statement said public health officials are doing a thorough investigation into the matter, adding that no close contacts have been identified so far but officials are working to identify other potential cases.

Earlier in December, London announced that a new coronavirus strain was detected in the country, adding that the new variant can be up to 70 percent more transmissible than other SARS-CoV-2 variants. After the news, many countries suspended travel to and from the United Kingdom. There is no evidence that the new strain is more pathogenic.