Los Angeles County confirms first case of Omicron variant
Los Angeles County has just announced confirmation of the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The person recently returned to the county after traveling to South Africa via London, according to the Department of Public Health.
The patient is a fully vaccinated adult, and the person's symptoms "are improving without medical care."
PRESS RELEASE: Los Angeles County Reports First Case of the Omicron Variant
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 3, 2021
For more information, visit: https://t.co/RFoa9gsRp9 pic.twitter.com/pR1qWq7YtI
This comes just a day after the United States identified the first case of omicron COVID-19 variant in the nation, which was confirmed in San Francisco.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the confirmation of the first case was not surprising and shouldn’t force another shutdown heading into the holidays.
“Look, I’m confident if we continue to do what we’ve done, which is continue to be in the top 10 in terms of the lowest case rates and on the highest vaccination rates, on the lowest positivity rate, that won’t be an issue,” he said during a visit to Merced County in the Central Valley to promote vaccinations and booster shots.
Cases have also been confirmed in Minnesota and New York state.