Fresno County confirms first Omicron COVID variant case

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) is confirming the first known case of the Omicron variant, in a traveler returning to Fresno County who tested positive on Dec. 10th, 2021.

The patient had been vaccinated and received a booster. They are not hospitalized and they are isolating at their home. The FCDPH is conducting an investigation to identify people who may have had close contact with the patient.

“Health Officials expected this aggressive new variant to arrive in Fresno County, and now it has. Now is a critical time to protect our communities and prevent this highly contagious strain of COVID from spreading to our vulnerable populations,” says David Luchini, FCDPH Director.

FCDPH says best prevention method and protection against COVID-19 is vaccination. Getting your booster when you are eligible is particularly important for preventing Omicron. Vaccines are available in different areas of the county. Click here for events and locations. Boosters are also available for all residents ages 16 and up.

Fresno County confirms first Omicron case on Scribd

Tulare County hasn't had a detected case of Omicron yet through their genomic sequencing and surveillance, according to Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency. The agency did say it's likely that Omicron is circulating in the area but they haven't been able to detect it through their surveillance efforts.

According to the Kern County Public Health Services Department's COVID dashboard, the county hasn't detected any Omicron cases as of Tuesday afternoon through testing or surveillance.

Covering Kern County

Kern COVID-19 tracker: 193,774 total cases, 1,974 deaths, 161,198 recovered

10:56 AM, Mar 22, 2020