A third case of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in Colorado in a woman who recently returned from southern Africa.
‘Just moments ago, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed the first Colorado case of the omicron variant,’ Colorado Governor Jared Polis said during a press conference.
‘It is somebody who just traveled to southern Africa and returned.’
The news came as President Joe Biden announced a new requirement for international travelers to show a negative Covid-19 test one day before flying to the US, down from the previous policy of three days.
The person who contracted the Omicron variant is experiencing mild symptoms and is isolating at her home, Polis said. She was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot.
Polis does not believe the Omicron variant is ‘prevalent’ in the state based on samples of Covid-19 tests.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a news release urging residents to get vaccinated.
News of Omicron in Colorado came hours after the second case in the US was confirmed in a Minnesota man who had recently returned from New York City where he attended an anime convention.
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