Fauci urges Americans to get boosters as first Omicron case reaches US

A person in California became the first in the US to have an identified case of the COVID-19 omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new strain of the virus.

“This is the first case of COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant detected in the United States,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease specialist, said at the White House Wednesday.

"We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of Omicron would be detected in the United States," Fauci said, adding, "we know what we need to do to protect people."

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Fauci urged all Americans who were vaccinated for more than six months ago to get their booster shots and follow all of the guidance from public health officials from wearing masks at indoor gatherings to getting children vaccinated.

The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread. Clusters of cases have also been identified in about two dozen other nations.