Connecticut confirms first omicron variant case

Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Saturday that the state confirmed its first case of the omicron variant of Covid-19.

The case involved a Hartford County resident in his 60s from Hartford County who developed mild symptoms on Nov. 27 ”“ an at-home testing kit generated a positive result, and a molecular test on Dec. 1 affirmed that finding. That individual may have contracted the variant from a family member who attended the Anime NYC 2021 convention in Manhattan last month ”“ the family member developed mild syndromes and tested positive via an at-home kit.

Sequencing performed at the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory confirmed the presence of the variant. As of this morning, no additional cases have been confirmed in the state, although Lamont noted this was “likely is not the only case of the variant in the state.”

“That being said,” the governor added, “I must urge everyone in Connecticut not to panic. While we are still learning more about this variant, our health providers are continuing to do their best to protect everyone. We have life-saving tools like vaccines and boosters available to fight this pandemic ”“ including the delta and omicron variants ”“ and I urge everyone to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and everyone around