Increased to Over 20 Including 8 in New York State... Community Transmission
Spread to Latin America... Confirmed in Chile Following Brazil and Mexico
[Asia Economy International Department Reporter] Omicron variant infections have been confirmed in 12 U.S. states.
The New York Times (NYT) and CNN reported on the 4th (local time), citing health authorities, that more than 20 Omicron variant cases have been identified in 12 states so far.
Since the first Omicron variant infection was confirmed in California on the 1st, confirmed cases have emerged in Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Utah within three days.
NYT stated, "Most of the Omicron variant infections appear to be among people who recently traveled to South Africa," but also reported that "health authorities are preparing for the inevitable community spread of the Omicron variant."
New York State announced that it confirmed 3 additional Omicron variant cases, bringing the total to 8. Among all patients, 7 are from New York City and 1 from Suffolk County.
Mary Bassett, New York State Health Commissioner, said, "We are seeing the Omicron variant spreading in the community as expected." New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged vaccination including booster shots and mask-wearing, stating, "We knew Omicron was coming and expect more cases, but we have the tools to stop its spread."
In Baltimore, Maryland, 3 additional infection cases were confirmed. Among them, 2 had close contact with travelers from South Africa, and 1 was vaccinated but infected with the Omicron variant; the travel history of this individual is unknown.
Earlier, Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), projected during a briefing on the 3rd that the Omicron variant could become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the U.S. She said that genetic sequencing efforts have been expanded to learn more about Omicron, and "early data suggests that the Omicron variant may be more transmissible than the Delta variant."
However, she added, "Although the news focus is on Omicron, an average of 86,000 COVID-19 cases occur daily in the U.S., and 99.9% of them are Delta variant cases," emphasizing that the Delta variant remains the greater threat at present.
Meanwhile, Omicron infections have also been confirmed in Latin America. Chilean health authorities announced on the 4th (local time) that a foreign resident in Chile who arrived from Ghana, Africa, was confirmed as the first Omicron variant case in Chile. Previously, Omicron variant cases had also been confirmed in Brazil and Mexico.
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