How Many States Is Omicron in Now?

U.S.|The detection of Omicron successful the U.S. expands to astatine slightest 16 states.

• Published Dec. 4, 2021Updated Dec. 5, 2021, 9:47 a.m. ET

The highly mutated Omicron variant of the coronavirus had been reported successful astatine slightest 16 states by Saturday, with Washington authorities reporting 3 caller cases.

Many of the cases appeared to beryllium radical who had traveled to South Africa recently, including the archetypal lawsuit reported Saturday successful Wisconsin by the state’s section of health. Some, however, seemed to beryllium examples of assemblage spread, including an infected idiosyncratic successful Hawaii who had not traveled extracurricular of his state, and a antheral successful Minnesota who attended an anime normal successful New York City. Regardless, wellness officials were bracing for the inevitable assemblage dispersed of the variant.

Late Saturday, Gov. Ned Lamont reported Connecticut’s archetypal case, a antheral successful his 60s whose comparative had precocious attended the anime convention. Additional household members were being tested, and some the antheral and his comparative were afloat vaccinated and experiencing lone mild symptoms.

None of the Omicron cases reported truthful acold successful the United States person resulted successful superior illness, hospitalization oregon death.

The Washington State Department of Health said 3 adults from 3 antithetic counties -- Thurston, Pierce and King — had tested affirmative for Omicron. They were being informed, and their conditions were unknown.

Even arsenic concerns astir the Omicron variant intensified, apical national wellness officials said that for present the Delta variant remained a greater menace to Americans.

“I cognize the quality is focused connected Omicron, but we should retrieve that 99.9 percent of cases successful the state close present are from the Delta variant,” Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the manager of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said successful a property briefing connected Friday. “Delta continues to thrust cases crossed the country, particularly successful those that are unvaccinated.”

About 104,000 cases were being reported successful the United States each day, compared with astir 12,000 per time six months ago. States successful the Midwest are recording immoderate of the biggest spikes, portion New Hampshire, Michigan and Minnesota pb the state successful caller cases per capita.

On Friday, authorities wellness officials confirmed three cases successful Maryland, each successful the Baltimore area. Two of the cases are from the aforesaid household and see a vaccinated idiosyncratic who had precocious traveled to South Africa and an unvaccinated idiosyncratic who was deemed a adjacent contact. The 3rd lawsuit is unrelated, and the patient, who was vaccinated, has nary known caller question history.

Officials successful Philadelphia said that they had recovered 1 case, a antheral successful his 30s. The sole lawsuit identified successful Utah was a vaccinated idiosyncratic who had conscionable returned from South Africa. In Missouri, officials identified a lawsuit linked to home travel.

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Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey said that a afloat vaccinated pistillate who had precocious traveled to South Africa tested affirmative for the Omicron variant aft being treated astatine an exigency section successful bluish New Jersey. She was successful isolation with mild symptoms, officials said.

On Thursday, officials successful New York State announced that they had confirmed 5 cases of the variant: a 67-year-old pistillate successful Suffolk County who returned from South Africa; 2 residents of Queens; 1 nonmigratory of Brooklyn; and different idiosyncratic successful New York City who had traveled recently. The vaccination presumption of astir of the individuals remained unknown.

A vaccinated Colorado nonmigratory who had precocious returned from confederate Africa was that state’s archetypal confirmed case.

California reported respective cases — the archetypal being successful San Francisco connected Wednesday. In Alameda County, wellness officials confirmed 5 caller cases of the Omicron variant that were “mildly symptomatic,” portion of a clump of 12 section coronavirus cases linked to radical who attended a wedding successful Wisconsin connected Nov. 27. One of the individuals astatine the wedding had precocious traveled internationally, the Alameda County Public Health Department said. Guests who tested affirmative had each had been vaccinated and nary had been hospitalized. Genomic sequencing to observe the variant had not been completed connected each 12 cases.

The authorities in Nebraska connected Friday said that of the six cases involving the Omicron variant recovered there, lone 1 was successful a vaccinated person. One of the infected radical had returned from Nigeria connected Nov. 23, they said, and the different 5 were apt exposed done household contact. None had required hospitalization.

An Oahu nonmigratory with nary past of question is the archetypal Omicron lawsuit successful Hawaii.

“This is simply a lawsuit of assemblage spread,” the state’s section of wellness said in a quality release. The idiosyncratic had antecedently been infected with the coronavirus but was ne'er vaccinated.