Bronxville, NY
Breaking News
COVID-19: Three More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant COVID-19: Three More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Three More NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant Omicron, the new strain of COVID-19 that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has now been detected in eight New York residents. On Saturday, Dec. 4, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced three more cases have been identified, two days after the state announced its first five cases. So far, the cases appear unrelated and have been confirmed through sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the New York State Health Department.  All three of the new cases are from New York City. Nationally, a total of 23 people have been infected in 11 states: Utah, California, Minneso…

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by Joe Lombardi
Newark, NJ
Breaking News
COVID-19: First Case Of Omicron Variant Reported In New Jersey COVID-19: First Case Of Omicron Variant Reported In New Jersey
Covid-19: First Case Of Omicron Variant Reported In New Jersey The first case of the new COVID-19 variant has been detected in New Jersey, state officials announced Friday. The woman, who is a fully vaccinated Georgia resident, had recently traveled to South Africa, Governor Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said in a joint statement. The woman has been kept in isolation since she tested positive on Nov. 28. She had moderate symptoms and is now recovering after being treated in a North Jersey emergency department, officials said. Officials are awaiting the results of a sequencing report from The New Jer…

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by Nicole Acosta
Bristol, PA
Breaking News
COVID-19: Philadelphia Resident Tests Positive For Omicron Variant COVID-19: Philadelphia Resident Tests Positive For Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Philadelphia Resident Tests Positive For Omicron Variant UPDATE (8:30 p.m.):  New Jersey officials announced the first detection of the Omicron variant in the state just hours after this report was published. CLICK HERE to read "COVID-19: First Case Of Omicron Variant Reported In New Jersey" *** (4:55 p.m.): A day after the first case of the new COVID-19 variant was identified in a Minnesota man who traveled to New York City, a Philadelphia resident has tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 strain. The person is a man in his 30’s from Northwest Philadelphia, the city's health department announced Friday. It was unclear when he tes…

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by Nicole Acosta
Bronxville, NY
Breaking News
COVID-19: Five NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant COVID-19: Five NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Five NY Residents Identified As Being Infected With Omicron Variant Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has now been detected in five New York residents. Four are from New York City and the other was a 67-year-old Long Island woman who lives in Suffolk County and had recently traveled to South Africa, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced early Thursday evening, Dec. 2. All five had mild symptoms, Hochul said.  The vaccination status has only been determined for one of the five -- the Suffolk County woman who was fully vaccinated. She tested positive on Tuesday, Nov. 30, Hochul said. Two of the other fo…

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by Joe Lombardi
Hampden-Silver Spring, PA
Breaking News
COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States
Covid-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has been detected in the United States for the first time. Health officials had been bracing for the first such Omicron case for days, and early Wedneday afternoon, Dec. 1, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention confirmed a person in California has been infected with the new strain. The San Francisco Department of Health said the individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Monday, Nov. 22, and tested positive for COVID on Monday, Nov. 29. The individual was fully vaccinated and experie…

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by Joe Lombardi
Bronxville, NY
Breaking News
COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States
Covid-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has been detected in the United States for the first time. Health officials had been bracing for the first such Omicron case for days, and early Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 1, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention confirmed a person in California has been infected with the new strain. The San Francisco Department of Health said the individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Monday, Nov. 22, and tested positive for COVID on Monday, Nov. 29. The individual was fully vaccinated and experi…

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by Joe Lombardi
Shelton, CT
Breaking News
COVID-19: WHO Issues Travel Advisory Due To Omicron Variant COVID-19: WHO Issues Travel Advisory Due To Omicron Variant
Covid-19: WHO Issues Travel Advisory Due To Omicron Variant The World Health Organization has just given new guidelines for its travel recommendations amid the spread of the Omicron variant. The agency shared the update on the new COVID-19 variant of concern on Tuesday, Nov. 30, providing guidance on how to mitigate the risks while scientists research the variant. Related story - COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States The WHO advised countries to use an "evidence-informed and risk-based approach" when implementing new travel measures and advised against blanket travel bans.  "Blanket travel bans …

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by Nicole Valinote
Massapequa, NY
Breaking News
COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective
Covid-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that his company is preparing to tackle new COVID-19 variants, and that he expects the company’s treatment pill will be effective in helping avoid severe illness or possibly death if one get infected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Omicron poses a “very high” global risk, with the likelihood it is more transmissible than previous strains. The new variant has nearly three dozen mutations that reportedly decrease antibody protection. WHO described Omicron as a “highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations ... some of which are conce…

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by Zak Failla
Tarrytown-SleepyHollow, NY
Your Community
COVID-19: County Assessing Possible 'Major Steps We May Need To Take' On Omicron, Latimer Says COVID-19: County Assessing Possible 'Major Steps We May Need To Take' On Omicron, Latimer Says
Covid-19: County Assessing Possible 'Major Steps We May Need To Take' On Omicron, Latimer Says County Executive George Latimer is ready to take “major steps” in Westchester if the Omicron COVID-19 strain poses as large a threat as many fear. During a COVID-19 update on Monday, Nov. 29, Latimer addressed the new variant, which was just confirmed in neighboring Canada and could lead to a spike similar to when the Delta variant first began rapidly spreading earlier this year. Earlier story - COVID-19: County Assessing Possible 'Major Steps We May Need To Take' On Omicron, Latimer Says The World Health Organization identified the Omicron variant as one “of concern” at an emergency meeti…

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by Zak Failla
Hackensack, NJ
Breaking News
NYC Health Chief Reinstates Indoor Public Mask Advisory As Omicron Concerns Grow NYC Health Chief Reinstates Indoor Public Mask Advisory As Omicron Concerns Grow
NYC Health Chief Reinstates Indoor Public Mask Advisory As Omicron Concerns Grow New York City's health chief "strongly" recommended Monday that everyone wear masks in indoor public settings at all times -- regardless of their vax status -- as concerns grows over the newest mutated strain of COVID. "Like at your grocery or in building lobbies, offices and retail stores,” Dr. David Chokshi, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told reporters. “When you’re indoors, regardless of whether you’re fully vaccinated or not, everyone should be wearing a mask." It's not a mandate -- just an advisory at this point. Theaters, restaurants, clu…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Brookfield, CT
Breaking News
COVID-19: Be 'Vigilant' Over New Variant, Lamont Tells CT Residents COVID-19: Be 'Vigilant' Over New Variant, Lamont Tells CT Residents
Covid-19: Be 'Vigilant' Over New Variant, Lamont Tells CT Residents With concern growing across the country over the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said residents should be vigilant. "While there have been no cases of the Omicron variant reported here in Connecticut or the United States to date, we still must be vigilant," Lamont said.  Related story - COVID-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America The variant, which first surfaced in South Africa recently, has garnered significant attention as its spread has been found in Europe, Canada, and Asia.  While little is known about Omicron, the World …

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by Kathy Reakes
Bronxville, NY
Breaking News
COVID-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America COVID-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America
Covid-19: First Cases Of New Variant Identified In North America The new strain of COVID-19 that has caused worldwide alarm the last week has been detected in North America for the first time. Two cases of the Omicron variant were confirmed in Canada. Both were in Ottawa, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement released Sunday evening, Nov. 28. The two infected people had traveled from Nigeria and have been isolated, Elliott said. The Omicron variant, whose name comes from the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, is spreading fast in Europe after the first case was identified by scientists in South Africa on Tuesday, Nov. 9. In…

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by Joe Lombardi