US reports first community transmission of Omicron as variant spreads across globe

WASHINGTON/BERLIN, December 3 ------ The United States reported its first case of community transmission of Omicron on Thursday and President Joe Biden prepared to lay out his strategy to fight the coronavirus over the winter as the highly contagious variant spread across the globe. As the world scrambled to contain the spread of Omicron, health authorities in the northern US state of Minnesota said the infected resident was a fully vaccinated adult male who had recently travelled to New York City.

The person told state health investigators he attended the Anime NYC 2021 convention at the Javits Center from Nov. 19 to 21 and developed mild symptoms on Nov. 22. “We are aware of a case of the Omicron variant identified in Minnesota that is associated with travel to a conference in New York City, and we should assume there is community spread of the variant in our city," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "We are working closely with the State and the CDC, as well as the Javits Center’s event organizers, and our Test and Trace Corps will be contacting conference attendees," he said in a statement.

The Omicron variant could slow global economic growth by exacerbating supply chain problems and depressing demand, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the Reuters Next conference on Thursday. "There's a lot of uncertainty, but it could cause significant problems. We're still evaluating that," she said. Germany announced it would bar the unvaccinated from all but essential businesses such as grocery stores and pharmacies, while legislation to make vaccination mandatory will be drafted for early next year. "We have understood that the situation is very serious," Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference.

A nationwide vaccination mandate could take effect from February 2022 after it is debated in the Bundestag and after guidance from Germany's Ethics Council, she said. Eager to avoid derailing a fragile recovery of Europe's biggest economy, Germany kept businesses open to the almost 69% of the population that is fully vaccinated as well as those with proof of having recovered from the virus. In the United States, Biden was due to speak at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at 1:40 p.m. ET (1840 GMT) to announce steps including extending requirements for travelers to wear masks through mid-March. By early next week the United States will require inbound international travelers to be tested for COVID-19 within a day of departure, regardless of vaccination status.

And private health insurance companies will be required to reimburse customers for at-home COVID-19 tests, as part of a winter strategy that Biden is due to announce at 1840 GMT. "The president is going to unveil a very robust plan, pull out all the stops to prepare for the winter and to prepare for the new variant," White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients told broadcaster MSNBC.

Source: gmanetwork.com