Omicron Variant in New York: What We Know About the 5 Cases

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned last weekend of the omicron variant of COVID-19, “it’s coming,” and on Thursday night she confirmed the first five cases in New York state.

In a joint news conference with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Hochul said it seemed that so far, the cases have been mild. But the news still came at a difficult time for the state, just hours after it reported more than 11,000 new cases in a single day for the first time since January.

Where are the omicron variant cases in New York?

Hochul said four of the five cases are in the city, and all five are downstate.

• Suffolk County: a 67-year-old female, with some vaccination history, who traveled from South Africa
• 2 Queens cases: details unknown, including vaccination status
• Brooklyn: details unknown, including vaccination status
• NYC: a traveler in one of the boroughs