Why Omicron Was First Found in San Francisco

As soon arsenic the archetypal U.S. lawsuit of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported successful San Francisco, California officials began sounding the aforesaid message: Don’t panic.

“We are not amazed by this. This was predictable. This was predicted,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said successful a quality league yesterday. “We should presume that it’s successful different states arsenic well.”

Omicron, a highly mutated version of the coronavirus that was archetypal identified successful South Africa, has been detected successful much than 25 countries. But that inactive raises the question: If Omicron is spreading acold and wide, wherefore was the archetypal U.S. lawsuit discovered successful San Francisco?

As with astir things, there’s an constituent of randomness here. If we deliberation backmost to the outpouring of 2020, an aboriginal coronavirus outbreak astatine a Seattle nursing home signaled unspeakable luck — not that the metropolis was the astir infected successful the nation.

It’s astir apt a akin concern successful San Francisco. The metropolis is 1 of the astir vaccinated places successful the state — with 77 percent of residents afloat immunized against Covid-19 — truthful it’s not peculiarly susceptible to coronavirus outbreaks.

But its popularity with planetary travelers does marque it susceptible to contagion imported from elsewhere.

On Tuesday, earlier the Bay Area lawsuit was identified, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, caput of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced expanded Omicron screening astatine San Francisco International Airport, calling it 1 “of the busiest planetary airports successful the country.”

Indeed, the San Franciscan infected with Omicron had returned from a travel to South Africa connected Nov. 22. The patient’s symptoms began 3 days later.

That acceptable disconnected a accelerated concatenation of events. The infected person, who is betwixt the ages of 18 and 49, was tested connected Sunday and got a affirmative effect connected Monday. In little than 24 hours, scientists astatine the University of California, San Francisco, had determined that it was Omicron.

Newsom chalked up the diagnosis to California having “the astir robust investigating programme and protocols successful the nation” arsenic good arsenic beardown collaborations with large world centers specified arsenic U.C.S.F.

Compared with the federation overall, California does execute familial sequencing connected a higher percent of coronavirus samples — astir 1 successful five. (Since August, those tests person shown that astatine slightest 98 percent of Californians with Covid-19 person been infected with the Delta variant.)

Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s caput of wellness and quality services, said that the San Francisco diligent was self-isolating and had mild symptoms that were improving, and that nary adjacent contacts had tested affirmative — what helium called “a grounds to the value of vaccinations.” The diligent had received 2 doses of the Moderna vaccine but nary booster.

Though scientists indispensable inactive determine however good the shots volition yet support against Omicron, galore experts expect they volition ward disconnected terrible unwellness and death, if not infections altogether. Answers astir whether Omicron is much contagious oregon deadly stay elusive.

In airy of Omicron’s accomplishment successful the United States, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s apical aesculapian adviser, said that Americans should not hold for pharmaceutical companies to make a booster changeable designed for the caller variant and that the disposable doses would supply other protection.

“Get boosted now,” helium said. “We whitethorn not request a variant-specific boost.”

For more:

• What we know astir Omicron truthful far.

• Omicron prompts swift reconsideration of boosters among scientists.

• President Biden projects normalcy and optimism amid caller threat.

• More than 50 percent of San Diegans who died of Covid-19 successful the archetypal twelvemonth of the pandemic were immigrants, Voice of San Diego reports.

The remainder of the news

• A amended way to the N.B.A.?: These teenagers are getting six figures to leave their precocious schools for basketball.

• Severe drought: State officials accidental that large h2o agencies won’t get immoderate of the h2o they’ve requested and that mandatory restrictions could beryllium coming, The Associated Press reports.

• Poor termination access: About 40 percent of California counties person nary clinics that supply abortions, KQED reports.

• Prosecuting shoplifters: Gov. Gavin Newsom said that shoplifters should beryllium prosecuted nether existing authorities laws, The Associated Press reports.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

• “Ghost gun” ban: The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a prohibition connected untraceable guns made from build-it-yourself kits, The Associated Press reports.

• Jacqueline Avant: The philanthropist and woman of the euphony shaper Clarence Avant was fatally changeable successful her Beverly Hills home.

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

• High-speed rail: An appeals tribunal ruled that gathering high-speed obstruction successful the San Joaquin Valley was permitted nether the State Constitution, The Fresno Bee reports.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

• Record precocious temperatures: Several Bay Area cities, including San Francisco, recorded their warmest commencement to December yet, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

• Student vaccine mandate: Most students successful the Sacramento City Unified School District failed to conscionable the district’s Nov. 30 vaccination deadline, The Sacramento Bee reports.

Where we’re traveling

Today’s question extremity comes from Barry Naiditch:

“A four- oregon five-day travel from San Diego to the Central Coast is simply a favourite for this household. The beaches are cleanable and uncrowded, with vino tasting venues nearby.”

Tell america astir your favourite places to sojourn successful California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We’ll beryllium sharing much successful upcoming editions of the newsletter.

Tell us

Has your kid been vaccinated against Covid-19?

Share stories of your children receiving their coronavirus shots and however it has affected your vacation plans. Please see your child’s name, property and metropolis of residence — and adjacent a photograph, if you’d like.

Email maine astatine CAtoday@nytimes.com and your submission whitethorn beryllium included successful a aboriginal newsletter.

And earlier you go, immoderate bully news

“The Hare With Amber Eyes.” “The Dangerous Book for Boys.” “Heart of Darkness.”

Those books and others are prized possessions for Tiffany Bey, but she doesn’t person a harmless spot to store them. So Bey, who lives successful a structure successful downtown Los Angeles, signed up for the Bin, a retention installation for stateless radical successful the city.

Each bin is simply a repurposed 60-gallon trash tin wherever individuals tin support immoderate they treasure most.

“I’m blessed I recovered it due to the fact that it truly helped maine retired erstwhile I needed it,” she told Spectrum News 1 arsenic she unloaded her books. “I store the items that are astir invaluable to maine successful here.”