No cases of the Omicron strain have been identified in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday, but the governor of New York has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of a possible increase in covid-19 cases. Delta and Omicron strains.
The World Health Organization described the variant strain B.1.1.529, which it named Omicron, as a “concern” strain. This is the fifth strain of coronavirus that is so characterized.
“We expect Omicron to be identified as soon as it appears in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement.
For her part, New York Governor Kathryn Hawkal declared the state of emergency yesterday, as the authorities expect an increase in the cases of covid-19 due to the highly contagious Delta strain, which is already circulating in the USA, but also the possible appearance in the country of the Omicron strain.
The state of emergency comes into force on December 3, and based on this the state can acquire materials to deal with the pandemic, increase the capacity of hospitals and immediately address any staff shortages. The New York State Department of Health will also be able to request that unnecessary and non-urgent hospital interventions be reduced.
“We are still seeing warning signs of a rise in cases this winter and, despite the fact that the Omicron strain has not been located in New York State, it is coming,” Hawkal said.
At the same time, the governor of New York asked the residents of the state to be vaccinated against covid-19, emphasizing that only 10% of the adults have not received at least one dose of vaccine.
“The vaccine remains one of our strongest weapons in the fight against this pandemic, and I encourage all New Yorkers to get vaccinated and get a booster dose if they have been vaccinated,” Hawkal said.
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