A dangerous new COVID variant has struck the US thanks to its origin in China.

This is why health officials in the US are warning against the outbreak in California and, therefore, urging citizens to wear a mask.

The Department of Public Health in California was seen sharing more details about the highly contagious NB 1.8 strain that was detected in the state, making this the sixth American state to be exposed to the strain.

The variant was also detected in travelers flying from abroad and arriving in Washington state, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Virginia, and New York City since the month of March.

Since April, the strain has grown from 2% of COVID-19 cases in California to 19%, as per data from the Health Department.

Lab tests suggested that this strain is more infectious than currently circulating strains, which means it could lead to a spike in infections and hospital admissions.

The World Health Organization’s information also suggested that this makes up more than 50% of the variants currently on the rise.

The warning comes as some doctors in the state of California called for the return of mask mandates to emulate countries like Hong Kong.