New York confirmed five cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the number of states with cases of the troubling strain to five as President Joe Biden announced new measures to combat a winter surge in COVID-19 infections.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents not to be alarmed, saying health officials expected the variant to appear in the state and that the cases announced should only serve as a reminder to Americans to get vaccinated and continue social-distancing measures.
“This is not a cause for major alarm,” Hochul said at a news conference alongside New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are in a far better place,” she added, noting: “The best thing everyone can do is to realize we are not defenseless against this variant at all, that vaccines, we know, are going to ensure there is less severe symptoms.”