Five cases of Omicron variant detected in New York state

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Five cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in New York state, Governor Kathy Hochul said Thursday night. The announcement comes just one day after the CDC detected the country’s first case of the variant in a traveler who had returned to San Francisco from South Africa.

“Let me be clear: This is not cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread,” Hochul tweeted. “Get your vaccine. Get your booster. Wear your mask.”

Only three other cases of the virus have been reported in the U.S.: the traveler in San Francisco, a man in Minnesota, and a woman in Colorado who had been vacationing in southern Africa. All three of those people had been fully vaccinated, and are only experiencing minor symptoms, officials said.

The Minnesota man said he had recently traveled to New York City to attend an anime convention, health officials said. The event attracted more than 50,000 people to Manhattan’s Javits Center.

This is a breaking story. It will be updated.