New COVID variant spreads quickly in NJ. Here's what you need to know about BA.2

A new COVID variant is spreading quickly across New Jersey a month after it was first detected in the state, new data released this week shows. The BA.2 variant appears to be on its way to becoming the dominant COVID strain in the region, having more than doubled in prevalence in two weeks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. On Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy said he expects cases to rise in New Jersey due to surges seen in parts of Asia and Europe. But he said he doesn't expect to reinstate "universal statewide mandated protective measures." It is unclear how much of an impact BA.2 will have on New Jersey and whether it is as severe as prior strains. BA.2 is considered a "sublineage" of the highly transmissible omicron variant called BA.1, which was responsible for the surge that hit New Jersey hard from mid-December through mid-January.