5 more cases of Omicron reported in New York, France registers 8 cases

New York: As many as five cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant have surfaced in New York City, taking cumulative tally in the US to eight.

“New York State has confirmed five cases of the omicron variant. Let me be clear: This is not a cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread. Get your vaccine. Get your booster. Wear your mask,” informed Governor of New York State in a tweet on Friday. Other cases of infection with the COVID-19 Omicron variant in the US have been reported in the state of Minnesota, Colorado, while the first case was confirmed in the state of California.

A new variant of COVID-19 was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year.

On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’. The WHO has classified Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’.
Dozens of countries have imposed travel restrictions on the southern African nations since the mutation was discovered.

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has reached eight, the French public health agency said.

The first Omicron infection case was detected in the French overseas department of Reunion on Tuesday. The next day, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said that 13 suspected cases have been identified throughout the country. “Eight confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in France ,” the Public Health France said in a COVID-19 situation update issued late on Thursday.
The institute said numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations and critical care patients were on the rise.

As of Friday, France has confirmed over 7.8 million coronavirus cases and more than 120,000 related fatalities.
To date, 77.4 per cent of the French population has been administered at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19, and 75.8 per cent have been fully vaccinated.