View Comments Public health has confirmed two Shasta County residents tested positive for the virulent Delta strain of the coronavirus, and one resident tested positive for the Gamma strain. Both variants of the virus are associated with spikes in case numbers, hospitalizations and COVID-19 deaths, according to the CDC. This week, Shasta County Public Health and Human Services (HHSA) learned samples of COVID-19 sent to state labs contained the Delta variant: One from a county resident who tested for the virus in April, and one from a resident who tested in May. “(Delta) is highly transmissible and is spreading rapidly among unvaccinated populations,” Shasta County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Ramstrom. Delta will likely become the dominant strain in California this summer.