By John Schwing

The first case of the fast-spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been reported in Connecticut.

Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed late Saturday that a Hartford County man in his 60s has tested positive for Omicron — less than two weeks after the World Health Organization reported Nov. 24 the strain had been formally identified in South Africa and Botswana.

On Wednesday, the first U.S. confirmed Omicron case was reported in California, and by Saturday 12 states reported additional cases, including three neighboring Northeastern states — New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

With the identification of the first Connecticut case of the Omicron variant, Lamont said others are likely undetected and warned it is expected to spread quickly.

“As I’ve been saying for the last several days, given the speed that this new variant has been spreading around the world and its positive identification in several states, we presumed it was already in our state and the information we received from the lab today confirms that fact,” Lamont said in the announcement. 

“This likely is not the only case of the variant in the state,” he added.

Too soon for data on severity of threat

Public health officials say initial indications are that Omicron appears to spread more quickly than the Delta variant — even among the vaccinated — but also report that it is too early to gauge the severity of the illness.

“Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant,” the federal Centers for Disease Control reports. “However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur.”

For the latest Omicron information and data from the CDC, click here.

In Connecticut, Lamont said the man first identified as infected with the Omicron variant may have contracted it from a family member who attended the Anime 2021 convention at the Javits Center in New York Center last month.

Both individuals are fully vaccinated, the governor added.

While urging state residents not to panic with the latest developments in the COVID-19 saga, Lamont said, “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 them.”

For state COVID-19 data, click here and for information about vaccines, click here.

Westport monitors developments, urges vaccinations

Similar advice was issued a few days earlier by Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, who said the town’s Emergency Management Team was tracking both the Delta and emerging Omicron variants, and urged everyone eligible to get vaccinated.

To promote its booster vaccination campaign, the state has opened mobile clinics around the state. The clinic closest to Westport is in Stamford at Jackie Robinson Park. It is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are not needed.

For local information about COVID 19 and resources, visit the Westport-Weston Health District website.