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"While there have been no cases of the Omicron variant reported here in Connecticut or the United States to date, we still must be vigilant," Lamont said.
The variant, which first surfaced in South Africa recently, has garnered significant attention as its spread has been found in Europe, Canada, and Asia.
While little is known about Omicron, the World Health Organization on Friday, Nov. 26, designated it a “variant of concern.”
The new variant, which is said to have a large number of mutations, comes as many states are still battling a rise in cases of the Delta variant.
As of Friday, Connecticut had a daily positivity rate of 3.61 percent. Hospitalizations totaled 300 statewide, one of the highest since summer.
Lamont said the state Department of Public Health, “is following these developments closely.”
“Earlier this year we set up a network of labs, coordinated by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, that are conducting genomic sequencing on positive test specimens to provide an understanding of the variants circulating in Connecticut," the governor said. "Our advance planning in this area will help us track Omicron, in addition to other variants that could appear in the future.
“The best defense against COVID-19 is a good offense.
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