Omicron Variant Of COVID-19 Not Yet In Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI — The omicron variant, a newly discovered strain of the COVID-19 virus, has not yet been detected in Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee said over the holiday weekend.

"At this time, Rhode Island Department of Health has not identified any cases of the Omicron variant in Rhode Island," McKee said. "Our genomic surveillance team will continue to closely monitor the situation and we’ll remain in contact with our federal partners."

The governor went on to urge Rhode Islanders to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and to get their booster shot if they are eligible.

While the variant has not been confirmed in Rhode Island yet, it is "most definitely" already in the United States, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, said Sunday.

The variant was first reported to the World Health Organization on Wednesday by South African health officials after identifying a case there. Since then, cases have been reported in Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong and Britain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The news prompted President Joe Biden to announce Friday that he is imposing travel restrictions on eight countries beginning Monday in an effort to control the spread in the U.S.

In an update on the omicron variant released Sunday, the World Health Organization said "this variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning."

Patch editor D'Ann White contributed to this report.