1st Case Of Omicron Variant In Florida Confirmed In Tampa

TAMPA, FL — Florida's first case of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus has been confirmed at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Kimberly Antos, a spokeswoman with the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, confirmed that a patient tested positive for the variant. She said the patient, who recently returned from traveling overseas, has mild symptoms.

She reiterated that "the best tool we have to ensure the public's continued health is COVID-19 vaccination, including COVID-19 boosters."

She added that those who are not vaccinated should continue to wear mask, maintain 6 feet of social distance and stay home if they're sick. (See her full statement below.)

The announcement means Florida has been added to the list of at least 21 states that have reported cases of the new variant, first reported Nov. 24 in South Africa. The first case was reported in San Francisco. Since then, cases also have been reported in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Maryland, Utah, Massachusetts, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Washington and Hawaii.

Only one of the patients has required hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. is among 40 countries with confirmed cases of the omicron variant, said the World Health Organization.

During a news conference Tuesday in Oldsmar, Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged he has been made aware of this first Florida case but is awaiting confirmation from the Florida Department of Health.

"They believe they have identified it; I'm not sure where it is," he said.

Regardless, he said he doesn't plan to change his policies regarding the coronavirus or impose mandates.

"When omicron was first publicized, immediately the markets dropped, but it wasn't because the market was fearful about omicron; it's because the market was fearful that the government would do destructive things in response to the omicron," he said.

"In Florida, we won't let them lock you down. We won't let them restrict you. We're not going to let them impose mandates. We're not going to let them close the schools. We're going to protect your freedom to make your own decisions," DeSantis said. "I have no problem if someone's scared of omicron and wants to lock down. They're free to do so, but you don't impose Faucism on the whole state."

In the past two months, DeSantis said Florida has had one of the lowest coronavirus rates in the country. He believes that's an indication that restrictive measures don't work.

"There's going to be variants. That's the reality. It (COVID-19) is not going away. It's something you have to deal with," he said. "But we should not impose restrictions and we should not shut down schools. How happy are children not to have to wear masks in school?"

The following is a statement from Kimberly Antos, a spokeswoman with the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa:

Yes, we can confirm detection of a case of the B.1.1.529 Omicron variant. The patient is experiencing mild symptoms and had recently returned from international travel. Our providers were able to quickly detect, test, confirm and add this data our developing understanding of this strain.

The best tool we have to ensure the public’s continued health is COVID-19 vaccination, including COVID-19 boosters, available now at all of the Tampa VA locations.

It is critical for people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. While no vaccine is 100% effective in preventing illness, the COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. provide excellent protection against the COVID-19 variants that have caused surges in the United States so far and are particularly effective in preventing severe illness or death from COVID-19. Veterans and their families can learn more about where to get a vaccine at VA here: https://www.tampa.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp

It is also important for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals to continue wearing masks when in public, maintain physical distance of six feet when possible and stay home if they are sick."

See related story: Omicron Variant Detected In 9 States, Biden Extends Mask Mandate