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Travelers at Denver International Airport on Nov. 30. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Omicron is now in the U.S., with first case found in California

Updated December 1, 2021 at 8:30 p.m. EST|Published December 1, 2021 at 3:01 a.m. EST

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The first U.S. case of the omicron variant has been identified in California in a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

The patient had mild symptoms that were improving and was in isolation, officials said.  

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World health officials criticized blanket travel bans on those coming from southern African nations, saying they will be ineffective against the spread of the omicron variant.
Anthony S. Fauci, the country’s top infectious-disease expert, said the Biden administration is preparing for a possible “variant-specific boost” of vaccinations.
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