VIRGINIA, USA — Virginia health officials said Thursday that the state had its first case of the COVID-19 omicron variant.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) said the person infected had not traveled internationally recently but had traveled within the United States.
Officials said the person infected is in the Northwest Region of the state which covers a large portion of Virginia.
“We knew it was only a matter of time before we would record our first Omicron infection in the Commonwealth,” said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A. in a statement released by VDH.
Oliver went on to say, "We have very effective vaccines that can interrupt the chain of transmission and reduce the odds that unpredictable mutations like the Delta and Omicron variants will emerge. Do your part. Get vaccinated if you are eligible. Get your booster shot if you’re eligible. Vaccination is how Virginia, the U.S. and the world will put this pandemic behind us.”
Virginia is the 24th state to confirm the omicron variant.
VDH emphasized that at this time, there's no evidence this variant causes more severe disease.