PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The City of Philadelphia has seen its first case of a resident testing positive for the omicron variant of COVID-19.
The city said that case involves a man in his 30's from Northwest Philadelphia. He reportedly has mild symptoms.
Omicron cases have also been identified in five states including New York, where five cases were found.
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“Since the discovery of this new variant, we have been preparing for the likelihood of an omicron case in Philadelphia,” said Mayor Jim Kenney in a statement.
“A new variant, especially one that may be more transmissible, means that we have to stay vigilant about taking steps to protect ourselves and everyone around us. I know that this news is especially discouraging as we enter the holiday season, but we can get through this together. Now is the time to get your vaccine or booster, mask up, and take extra precautions when you are going out in public or getting together with other households.”
“It is not unexpected that we would see omicron here in Philadelphia,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole in the same statement.
“Just because there is a case of this new variant here does not mean it’s too late to take precautions. There are things that you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones. This is not like when we first saw COVID cases. We know what works, and we’ve been doing a great job doing those things.”
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the CDC on the man's case of COVID-19.