1st confirmed case of omicron COVID-19 variant confirmed on Long Island

The first case of the omicron variant on Long Island was confirmed out of a lab in Suffolk County.
The 67-year-old woman from Suffolk recently traveled from South Africa and was at least partially vaccinated when she tested positive on Tuesday.
"There is some vaccination history," says Gov. Kathy Hochul. "We don't know if it's one vaccination, two or a booster shot."
The patient had mild symptoms of a headache and cough.
Another four cases in New York came from New York City. Their vaccination statuses are unknown.
A Minnesota man who recently attended a convention at the Javits Center in Manhattan also tested positive for the variant.
Dr. Sharon Nachman, of Stony Brook Medicine, says vaccination and isolation is the way to stop the variant from getting further spread into the community.
She says it's time to get a booster or vaccinated as scientists work learn to more about omicron.
"We should be concerned about every variant," Nachman. "We learned a lot about delta, how infectious it is. It looks like this new variant will be as infectious. We have not seen that it is more deadly."
Health experts are urging people to get their boosters and go back to wearing masks at indoor public places.