Omicron Variant Has Some Worried But Holiday Spirit Not Waning

TAMPA BAY, FL — Despite rising coronavirus cases due to the introduction of the omicron variant, the outlook for a holly jolly Christmas is positive for those who are vaccinated and doubly positive for those who have gotten booster shots.

That means Floridians won't have to cancel big family dinners and visits with relatives during the holidays.

The omicron variant of the virus, first identified in South Africa on Nov. 24, arrived in Florida at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa Dec. 7, and the omicron variant is currently the dominant variant in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, in the Southeast United States 95.2 percent of COVID-19 specimens tested for specific variants during the week ending Dec. 18 were omicron, while 4.7 percent were the delta variant.

Latest Statistics From The Florida Department of Health

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a news conference last week that she's not surprised coronavirus rates are increasing throughout the country. She said only 28 percent of Americans have gotten booster shots, which health officials say is the best defense against the omicron variant. Additionally, only 77.4 percent of Americans have had at least one vaccination.

"The best tool we have to ensure the public's continued health is vaccinations and boosters," she said.

She added that those who are not vaccinated should continue to wear masks, maintain 6 feet of social distancing and stay home if they're sick.

Vaccines Administered In Florida In Past 10 Weeks

As of Dec. 20, Walensky said omicron has been detected in most U.S. states and territories.

During a news conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged that omicron has, indeed, made its way to Florida but said he doesn't plan to change his policies regarding allowing residents the freedom to choose to be vaccinated and wear masks.

"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 Fauci-ism on the whole state."

Despite the arrival of the omicron variant, DeSantis said Florida has 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?"

Among the clinics seeing a surge in demand for vaccinations is the West Tampa Community Resource Center, 2103 N Rome Ave., Tampa, the only Hillsborough County that has remained open after the demand for vaccinations and testing waned.

On Nov. 14 and 24, Hillsborough County closed the King Forest Park antibody therapy treatment site in Tampa, the COVID-19 testing clinic at the Code Enforcement Complex in Tampa and the Progress Village clinic for testing, vaccination and boosters

The West Tampa Community Resource Center offers testing, vaccinations, boosters and antibody therapy treatment, and health officials are reporting a significant increase in the past two weeks.

According to health department officials, 562 tests were administered on Sunday, 1,059 on Monday and 1,070 on Tuesday. The site offers both rapid and PCR testing.

The clinic is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for both adult and pediatric patients. However, it will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Appointments are not required.

You can find vaccination sites throughout Florida by clicking here.

Click here for Florida testing sites.

And click here for a list of antibody treatment sites.

Just type in the city or county closest to you for a list of facilities.

What's The Difference Between Omicron And Other Variants?

Walensky said the CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of omicron and has identified the potential for a rapid increase in infections of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the omicron variant, in the United States.

According to the CDC, plausible scenarios include steep epidemic trajectories that would require immediate public health action to prevent severe impacts including inundated hospitals and rising death tolls.

Recent case data of the omicron variant from South Africa, Botswana, the United Kingdom and elsewhere are consistent with the faster growth scenarios that were modeled, she said.

Walensky said the CDC is expecting a surge of COVID-19 cases in the coming days to weeks.

In the last 30 days, 807,397 people have died from various COVID-19 variants.

"The CDC has been collaborating with global public health and industry partners to learn about omicron, as we continue to monitor its course," Walensky said. "We don’t yet know how easily it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, or how well available vaccines and medications work against it."

She said how easily omicron spreads compared to delta remains unknown, However, the CDC expects that anyone with the omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

She said more data is needed to know if omicron infections, and especially reinfections and breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated, cause more severe illness or death than infection with other variants.

See related stories:

• Omicron Variant Detected In 9 States, Biden Extends Mask Mandate
• 1st Case Of Omicron Variant In Florida Confirmed In Tampa
• Omicron Cases Explode In Florida: See Latest CDC Data
• 20K New COVID-19 Cases Reported In FL Wednesday: CDC