First cases of omicron strain of COVID virus reported in Florida

The first cases of the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, have been reported in Florida, according to the state's Department of Health.

Health Department spokeswoman Weesam Khoury Tuesday said the agency "has conducted genomic sequencing and maintains surveillance of emerging variants in Florida."

"As a result of these continuous and diligent efforts, the Department quickly identified a presumptive case of the Omicron variant in Florida," she said, referring to a case in the Tampa area.

Later Tuesday, Florida Department of Health-St. Lucie County spokeswoman Jennifer J. Harris confirmed that county also had "a presumptive case" and was "waiting for confirmation" from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tuesday evening, Khoury said the CDC had officially confirmed the St. Lucie case as the omicron strain.

"Our teams conducted contact tracing to identify possible exposures and advise on necessary isolation and quarantine protocols," Khoury said in a statement.

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Early reports suggest omicron is highly infectious but not as dangerous as the delta variant of coronavirus, USA TODAY has reported.

And at an event in Oldsmar Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated his position there would be no further lockdowns or other restrictions because of the omicron variant.

Khoury could not immediately say when the department became aware of the first case. Local news media, however, said that case was reported by the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa.

In a statement to the USA TODAY Network-Florida, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed those reports, saying "the patient is experiencing mild symptoms and had recently returned from international travel.

"Our providers were able to quickly detect, test, confirm and add this data to our developing understanding of this strain," added Zoë Stagg, the public affairs specialist for the hospital.

Khoury explained that the department "operates three state-of-the-art laboratories ... that are currently handling all required variant sequencing demands."

"The Bureau of Epidemiology monitors for SARS-Cov-2 variants of concern through investigative and analytical methods," she said. "These methods include thorough interviews, including travel history, contact tracing, specimen collection and surveillance of emergency room visits."

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If a case is "determined to be a presumed positive variant of concern, this sample is sent to CDC for final confirmation," Khoury added. Her full statement is here.

A CDC spokesperson was not immediately available and the agency did not respond to a request for comment.

The first confirmed case of omicron in the U.S. was reported Dec. 1 in California, according to the CDC website.

"The individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22," the website says of the California case. "The individual had mild symptoms that are improving, is self-quarantining and has been since testing positive.

"All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative," it added. The strain has since been detected in 17 other states, including Georgia.

Lindsey Leake of Treasure Coast Newspapers contributed reporting. Reach Jim Rosica at jrosica@tallahassee.com and follow him on Twitter @JimRosicaFL.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Omicron in Florida: First cases of new COVID-19 variant reported