According to the California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health, “As expected, and thanks to California’s large-scale testing and early detection systems, the state of California and the San Francisco Department of Public Health have confirmed a case of the Omicron variant in California. Our partners at the University of California, San Francisco identified this case through their sequencing capabilities. California is continuing to monitor the variant’s presence and progress through the state’s robust Whole Genome Sequencing surveillance.”

With the recent detection of Omicron in Northern California, residents and businesses are concerned about the implications of a more infectious variant on safety and business operations. And, while the impact of Omicron is uncertain, it is clear there are immediate action steps everyone can take to protect each other and slow transmission, according to Los Angeles County Public Health.

California Public Health reminded residents that now is not a time to panic but to remain vigilant.

LA County Public Health continues to encourage everyone 5 years old and older that are not yet vaccinated or boosted to do so with a “sense of urgency.” The vaccines continue to effective against the Delta variant and very effective against earlier strains of the virus, which gives hope that these same vaccines will also provide some protection against Omicron.