Omicron Variant Case Confirmed in Minnesota

UPDATE: NEW YORK (AP) — Just a day after the U.S. announced its first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus had been detected in California, health officials announced Thursday it was found in a man who attended an anime convention in New York City in late November.

The man tested positive after returning home to Minnesota, health officials in that state said. Officials in New York said they were working to trace attendees at the convention, held Nov. 19-21 at the city’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Vaccinations were required for the event.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said there are no confirmed omicron cases among New York residents.

“There is one way to address this — New Yorkers, get vaccinated, get boosted, and get ready,” the Democratic governor said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement that “we should assume” there is community spread of omicron in the city.

The Minnesota man attended Anime NYC 2021 at the Javits Center, the Minnesota Department of Health said. The man, who had been vaccinated, showed mild symptoms Nov. 22 and sought COVID-19 testing on Nov. 24. His symptoms have subsided.

Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine.

The U.S. recorded its first confirmed case of the omicron variant Wednesday. A vaccinated traveler who returned to California after a trip to South Africa on Nov. 22 developed mild symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 Monday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The first case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Health announced Thursday. The confirmation comes one day after the first U.S. cases of the omicron variant were detected in California.

Doug Shultz with the Minnesota Department of Health says the virus was detected through the state’s variant surveillance program in a person who recently traveled to New York City.

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, Minnesota’s nation-leading genome sequencing infrastructure and strong testing network have allowed the state to quickly track the COVID-19 virus and better understand its spread. Today, those tools detected a case of the Omicron variant in Minnesota,” Governor Tim Walz said in a release. “This news is concerning, but it is not a surprise. We know that this virus is highly infectious and moves quickly throughout the world. Minnesotans know what to do to keep each other safe now — get the vaccine, get tested, wear a mask indoors, and get a booster. Together, we can fight this virus and help keep Minnesotans safe.”

The omicron variant was first classified by the World Health Organization on Nov. 26. It was first detected in Africa and Europe. There are many unanswered questions surrounding the new variant, including whether it is more contagious than previous strains, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether the vaccine is effective against it.