NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The amount of known omicron cases in New York climbed Saturday, with all of the new cases coming from New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
Hochul said three more cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant have been detected, all in New York City, bringing the statewide total to eight.
So far, seven of the eight cases of omicron in the state came from New York City, while one was in a Suffolk County resident.
The governor said the cases are all unrelated.
"We knew the Omicron variant was coming and we expect to see more cases. But let me be clear: We are not defenseless," Hochul said. "We have the tools to help prevent the spread of this deadly virus: Get your vaccine, get your booster, and wear your mask. Let's use these tools to protect ourselves and our loved ones as we approach the holidays."
Hochul announced the initial five cases Thursday — two in Queens, one in Brooklyn and one in an unspecified borough. What borough the latest cases came from wasn't disclosed.
"Three of the Omicron cases were identified at Mt. Sinai, three cases were identified at the Pandemic Response Lab (PRL), one case was confirmed by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Suffolk County case was identified by PRL on December 2," said state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. "While all of these cases are believed to be unrelated to the recent Anime NYC convention at the Javits Center, the Department still urges anyone who attended to get tested for COVID-19 and wear a mask in public places."
The second known omicron case in the U.S. also had ties to New York — in a person who was diagnosed in Minnesota, but had visited a Manhattan anime convention.
New Jersey announced its first known omicron case Friday evening — a Georgia resident who had traveled to South Africa. Connecticut hasn't announced any omicron cases yet.
