KEY POINTS

  • D.C.’s first four omicron cases were among fully vaccinated people
  • The city has seen an increase in new COVID-19 cases since Thanksgiving
  • Omicron variant has been reported in more than 25 U.S. states

Washington D.C. health department announced the city’s first confirmed COVID-19 omicron cases Sunday. Authorities said three women and one man contracted the virus in unrelated cases.

All four individuals were fully vaccinated, The Hill reported. Two of the three women traveled over the Thanksgiving holidays to Maryland and Virginia, while the other woman was said to have visited New York and Florida. Of the infected women, one did not yet receive her booster shot but she was eligible, health officials said. The only man in the first omicron cases in D.C. had no recent travel history.

In a Twitter thread announcing the first four cases, the health department reiterated that “all residents 5 and older should get vaccinated.” The department also urged residents who have received their second Pfizer or Moderna shots on or before June 12 to get their booster shots. The same is applicable for people who received the second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on or before Oct. 12.

News of D.C.’s first omicron cases comes amid increasing concerns over the rise in new COVID-19 cases in the area since Thanksgiving. On Dec. 1, the daily case rate per 100,000 people was at 6.7% but on Dec. 8, the daily case rate stood at 23.3% and was categorized by health officials as worsening, NBC-owned WRC-TV reported.

Dr. Anil Mangla, the chief epidemiologist at the D.C. health department, told the outlet that the numbers should be expected to continue going up since people are traveling during the holiday season.

The Omicron variant, which was tagged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “variant of concern” two days after it was first detected in South Africa on Nov. 24, has been reported in more than 25 states across the country, CNBC reported. Last week, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida joined the growing list of states that confirmed their first omicron cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that most of the omicron variant cases in the country as of Friday were among fully vaccinated people, Reuters reported.

Of the 43 cases as of Friday, 34 were fully vaccinated and a third of them had received their booster shots. Studies are still underway about how effective existing COVID-19 vaccines are against the omicron variant, but concerns are rising over talks the vaccines may not offer adequate protection from the variant.

The Omicron variant was not circulating at the time of the study in six countries -- Canada, the United States, Britain, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil
The Omicron variant was not circulating at the time of the study in six countries -- Canada, the United States, Britain, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil AFP / STR
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