By Scott Sonner Associated Press
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
RENO — Nevada health officials are bracing for the inevitable arrival of the omicron variant in the state after the first U.S. case was confirmed Wednesday in neighboring California.
No cases of the COVID-19 variant have been confirmed so far in Nevada, but Washoe County Health District Officer Kevin Dick said Wednesday he wouldn't be surprised if there already has been a case that has gone undetected.
"Knowing we have it in California... just seeing what we've seen in the past with the rapid spread of delta etc., I wouldn't be surprised if we were to see it tomorrow," Dick told reporters during a weekly briefing.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we saw our first case three weeks or four weeks from now. We know it's going to be coming," he said.
The news came as Nevada recorded its 8,000th death from the coronavirus since the pandemic began in the spring of 2020.
Overall, the fluctuating number of cases in the state has been on a recent downward trend.
The 14-day rolling average of 393 cases reported Tuesday was the lowest since July of this year and vaccination rates continue to inch upward, with 49.2% of all Nevadans now fully vaccinated and 57.7% having received a first dose.
