Omicron Seen Surging to 13% of Virus Cases in New York and New Jersey

(Bloomberg) -- The omicron variant could make up about 13% of Covid-19 cases in New York and New Jersey, modeling from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. 

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that omicron makes up 3% of cases nationally and a higher share in certain regions. In New York and New Jersey, the CDC estimates that omicron already makes up 13% of cases, even if the states haven’t formally identified that level yet.

“We expect to see the proportion of omicron cases here in the United States continue to grow in the coming weeks. Early data suggest that omicron is more transmissible than delta, with a doubling time of about two days,” Walensky said at a news briefing.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Tuesday that the state has identified 38 omicron cases, a figure that could increase substantially if the CDC projections are borne out.

Delta is still the dominant variant in the U.S., but omicron’s trajectory is pointing upward. Anthony Fauci, who serves as a medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said at the briefing that booster shots sharply raise protection against omicron and that variant-specific booster shots aren’t needed as of now.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.