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Los Angeles County Reports First Case Of Omicron Variant

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) received confirmation of its first case of the Omicron variant in L.A. County on Thursday.

The carrier returned to Los Angeles County after travelling to South Africa via London on Nov. 22, and the infection is most likely travel-related, Public Health officials said.

According to Public Health, the L.A. County resident is a fully vaccinated adult, who is self-isolating and their symptoms are improving without medical care. A small number of close contacts in Los Angeles have been identified and, to date, all have tested negative and have no symptoms.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have always known there would be more mutations, resulting in the possibility of a more dangerous variant than the Delta variant,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer,, Director of Public Health. “While we can’t know for certain the impact of Omicron at this time, the good news is that we already know how to reduce transmission and slow spread using both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions. I encourage everyone to take the steps that we know offer protection, including getting vaccinated or boosted, tested if you feel sick or are a close contact, and wearing your mask indoors and at large mega-events.”

Getting vaccinated or boosted is most important as we go into the holiday season where many will be traveling and gathering with others, Public Health officials said.

“The vaccines are effective against the Delta variant and earlier strains of the virus, which allows us to remain hopeful that the approved vaccines will also provide some protection against Omicron,” read a Thursday statement.

Residents can walk-in to any Public Health vaccination site or make an appointment at the hundreds of additional sites across the county.

With continued substantial transmission and the possibility of a highly infectious new variant of concern, all residents across LA County should continue adhering to the masking requirements and wear a mask when indoors or at large outdoor mega-events – regardless of vaccination status. Individuals should also wear a mask when at any crowded indoor or outdoor events.

Testing is an important tool in early detection of infection to reduce spread and Public Health encourages residents who have traveled for the holidays to get tested if they traveled internationally or to locations in this country with high transmission rates, or they participated at gatherings and events with large numbers of people, some of which may be unvaccinated.

Residents are reminded that they are legally required to isolate if they have a positive COVID test result and that vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to quarantine.

Beginning Friday, international travelers arriving at the LAX international terminal will be offered free rapid COVID-19 tests and information on federal recommendations for quarantining and testing.

As of Thursday, Dec. 2, 37,767 cumulative cases have been reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since March of 2020, according to Public Health. These cases include:

  • 28,807 in the City of Santa Clarita*
  • 80 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
  • 1,235 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country
  • 4,633 in Castaic*
  • 70 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall
  • 5 in Placerita Canyon
  • 23 in San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon
  • 24 in unincorporated Sand Canyon
  • 179 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus
  • 55 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country
  • 1,890 in Stevenson Ranch
  • 452 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde
  • 314 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia

There are 574 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized across L.A. County. Testing results are available for nearly 9,448,000 individuals, with 15% of people testing positive.

Anyone five years and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.


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Los Angeles County Reports First Case Of Omicron Variant

3 comments

  1. The first I heard about this it was in San Francisco not Los Angeles. Funny same day same diagnosis. Something is not right with this story b

  2. Only two variants left until Christmas!

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As Santa Clarita’s only local radio station, KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, along with your favorite adult contemporary hits by artists such as Rob Thomas, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Maroon 5. We are vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community. Our broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. We stream our talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience.