Omicron Variant

Miami-Dade County Mayor Urges Continued Precautions After First Omicron Case Reported

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Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava pushed for continued caution Saturday after the first case of the omicron variant was reported in the county Friday.

The first case in Florida was reported at a Tampa hospital on Tuesday and a second case was reported in St. Lucie County.

Levine Cava's office confirmed that the case was reported to local authorities and said the analysis to identify the variant case was done in a day and a half, which means that it is a recent case.

Levine Cava tweeted that the first case in the county is a "frustrating reminder that this pandemic is not over" and laid out steps residents can take to protect themselves and their families.

Among the steps she pointed to were getting vaccinated, getting a booster shot and other mitigation techniques like wearing a mask in crowded areas and getting tested.

The U.S. and many other nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that can wane months after vaccination.

On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the nation's booster campaign, allowing emergency authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine booster to be administered to 16- and 17-year-olds once they're six months past their last dose. 

It’s not yet clear if or when teens younger than 16 might need a third vaccine dose.

Mayor Levine Cava said "we are not done yet" regarding COVID-19 and vowed that the county will continue "screening for Omicron and other variants."

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