case of the omicron Covid variant in a resident who recently returned from New York City, the state's department of health said.
The first omicron case was confirmed in California by U.S.
New York health officials haven't yet confirmed any cases in the state, Gov.Hochul said New York is taking proper precautions and is not overreacting to the omicron variant arriving in the U.S.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a statement Thursday, said it is working closely with public health authorities in Minnesota and New York City to investigate the latest confirmed omicron case."We have more tools to fight the variant than we had at this time last year from vaccines to boosters to the prevention strategies that we know work including masking in indoor public settings, washing your hands frequently and physical distancing," Walensky said.The World Health Organization on Wednesday said omicron has been confirmed in at least 23 countries worldwide.The variant was first identified in Botswana last month and brought to the attention of the WHO by public health officials in South Africa.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead, said on Wednesday that hospitalizations are rising in South Africa, but more data is needed before drawing conclusions about whether omicron causes more severe diseaseThey have said it would take until early 2022 to develop a shot that specifically targets the variant