With omicron likely to appear here, officials urge boosters

Washington’s state epidemiologist said it could be weeks before we know more about the new coronavirus variant.

OLYMPIA — The first identified case of the omicron variant in the United States is fueling a renewed call for residents of Washington to get vaccinations and booster shots.

On Wednesday, authorities confirmed a person in California, who had been vaccinated against COVID-19, was sickened by the new strain of the coronavirus.

Preparing for the likelihood the variant will reach Washington, state officials are asking genotyping labs to help in the search for the variant.

“It’s going to get here,” Gov. Jay Inslee told reporters Tuesday. The delta variant continues to be the dominant strain, he said. Vaccinations will provide “significant protection” against COVID, he said.

It’s “not time to panic,” state Health Secretary Dr. Umair Shah said Wednesday. It’s the same advice President Joe Biden offered earlier this week before curtailing travel from some African countries in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease.

Much is still unknown about the omicron variant, state epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist told reporters. That includes how easily it’s passed from person to person, or how effective vaccines and antiviral medications can fight it.

“We’re talking weeks before we start getting some of this information,” Lindquist said.

At this point, he said, the variant does not seem to be any deadlier than the delta variant.

Snohomish County Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters urged people to continue masking, distancing and ensuring indoor ventilation to prevent transmission.

The emergence of omicron, he said, “is a somber reminder that elimination of COVID is an unlikely scenario.”

Meanwhile, top health officials are strengthening their recommendations for booster shots.

Previously, older Washingtonians and those with underlying conditions were told to get a booster, while all other adults were told they “may” get it. Now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone 18 and older should seek a booster.

“Now the message is very simple. It’s very clear,” Shah said, adding later: “Please get your booster and get it today.”

Herald writer Jerry Cornfield and Herald news services contributed to this story.

Claudia Yaw: 425-339-3449; claudia.yaw@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @yawclaudia.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Twin sisters Lyndsay Lamb (left) and Leslie Davis (right), co-hosts of HGTV's Unsellable Houses. (Photo provided)
Meet and greet HGTV’s ‘Unsellable Houses’ twin sister stars in Snohomish on Friday

Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis have made Lamb & Co. a #twinwin home-selling, home-goods brand.

Funko mascots Freddy Funko roll past on a conveyor belt in the Pop! Factory of the company's new flagship store on Aug. 18, 2017.  (Dan Bates / The Herald)
Lawsuit: Funko misled investors about Arizona move

A shareholder claims Funko’s decision to relocate its distribution center from Everett to Arizona was “disastrous.”

Members of South County Fire practice onboarding and offboarding a hovering Huey helicopter during an interagency disaster response training exercise at Arlington Municipal Airport on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Arlington, Washington. The crews learned about and practiced safe entry and exit protocols with crew from Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue before begin given a chance to do a live training. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish, King counties train together for region’s next disaster

Dozens of agencies worked with aviators Tuesday to coordinate a response to a simulated earthquake or tsunami.

Police stand along Linden Street next to orange cones marking pullet casings in a crime scene of a police involved shooting on Friday, May 19, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens man identified in Everett manhunt, deadly police shooting

Travis Hammons, 34, was killed by officers following a search for an armed wanted man in a north Everett neighborhood.

Ciscoe Morris, a longtime horticulturist and gardening expert, will speak at Sorticulture. (Photo provided by Sorticulture)
Get your Sorticulture on: Garden festival returns to downtown Everett

It’s a chance to shop, dance, get gardening tips, throw an axe and look through a big kaleidoscope. Admission is free.

Lynnwood
1 stabbed at apartment in Lynnwood

The man, 26, was taken to an Everett hospital with “serious injuries.”

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. Highway 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Red flag fire warning issued west of Cascades

There are “critical fire weather” conditions due to humidity and wind in the Cascades, according to the National Weather Service.

A house fire damaged two homes around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 6, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Photo provided by Marysville Fire District)
Fire burns 2 homes in Marysville, killing 2 dogs

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire north of Lakewood Crossing early Tuesday, finding two houses engulfed in flames.

Snohomish County vital statistics

Marriage licenses, dissolutions and deaths.

Most Read