New Jersey is bracing for the “inevitable” arrival of the new COVID-19 omicron variant by ramping up testing capacities, state health officials said Monday, as world health officials warned there could be a global surge in coronavirus cases

Gov. Phil Murphy said it was still too early to tell what kind of impact omicron would have in the most densely populated state in the nation given that it was only discovered last week in southern Africa.

Here’s what we know.

Has omicron been detected in New Jersey?

No.

There hasn’t been a case detected yet anywhere in the U.S. Two cases have been detected in Canada. 

“I’ll be stunned if it’s not already in the United States,” Murphy said at a briefing Monday.

New Jersey officials said it was only a matter of time before the variant landed in the Garden State because it is a center of international travel and commerce.

“It’s inevitable this new mutant is going to land in our laps,” Murphy said.

Omicron, the newest coronavirus variant: How to pronounce it, how it got its Greek name, and what it means

What’s New Jersey’s testing capacity for omicron?

Unlike other variants, omicron can be detected with a standard COVID PCR test, allowing for much quicker detection, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said.  

In addition, the Health Department’s laboratory and others in New Jersey are able to conduct genomic sequencing on 1,200 positive COVID test samples each week to determine the precise viral strain. 

Is omicron more transmissible or deadlier than other strains?

The World Health Organization warned Monday that omicron could quickly spread around the globe, possibly with “severe consequences.”

But there is still little known about the variant. No deaths linked to omicron have been reported, and there is no information to suggest symptoms associated with omicron differ from those associated with other variants, the WHO said. 

The U.S. will need about two more weeks to learn more definitive information about the omicron variant’s transmissibility and severity, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told President Joe Biden on Sunday.

Biden said on Monday that it was only a matter of time before the variant is detected in the U.S. but said it was so far a “cause for concern, not a cause for panic.”

COVID-19:What to know about omicron, the new COVID-19 variant in South Africa

Will omicron prompt any new restrictions?

Other than Biden’s travel restrictions to and from parts of Africa, there have so far been no major policy changes on day-to-day life in the area.

On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a “mask advisory” that encourages everyone to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Murphy said his administration doesn’t yet know enough about the omicron variant to make any policy changes. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order last week that could force hospitals to limit non-essential surgeries and procedures if COVID numbers skyrocket.

“We’re not remotely there,” Murphy said. 

What’s the status of COVID in New Jersey?

News of the variant comes as New Jersey is already seeing an expected uptick in COVID cases and hospitalizations during the holiday season.

There were 950 COVID patients in New Jersey hospital beds on Sunday — the largest one-day total in almost two months and a 48% increase from Nov. 7 when the number was at 644. The number of patients in intensive care and on ventilators have also experienced similar increases in the past two weeks, according to state data. 

The numbers were almost triple one year ago when no one was vaccinated.

Health officials expect the numbers to go up through the holidays as more people gather indoors where coronavirus is much more transmissible.

As of Monday, about 65% of New Jersey’s 9.2 million residents were fully vaccinated — one of the highest rates in the U.S. More than 1.2 million New Jerseyans have received either a third dose of a vaccine or a booster shot.

Is the delta variant still a major driver of COVID?

New Jersey has already been hit with at least four major variant strains — ones that originated in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, and the delta variant from India.

Before delta hit New Jersey hard this summer, the other variants were believed to have been a key factor in causing a spike in COVID cases and hospitalizations in March after those numbers had declined when the vaccination campaign ramped up in January.

The delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, was much more highly contagious than the other strains, and quickly spread around the globe after it was first detected in India in December.

Delta was first detected in New Jersey in late May, just as the state began its “return to normalcy” when capacity restrictions were lifted and mask mandates ended. Although vaccines were shown to be effective against delta, it surged among the unvaccinated over the summer. Delta was the dominant strain by early July and represented 99% of all COVID cases in New Jersey as of early November.

“Our numbers are still being fueled by delta,” Murphy said.

Will this pandemic ever end?

As the pandemic hits the two-year mark with the latest variant causing concern, some officials believe COVID-19 will not be eradicated and will instead be managed like the seasonal flu. 

“Variants will always be happening,” said Dr. Christina Tan, the state epidemiologist. “The way to minimize the increase in mutations and the emergence of more variants is to get vaccinated.”

This article contains information from USA Today.

Scott Fallon has covered the COVID-19 pandemic since its onset in March 2020. To get unlimited access to the latest news about the pandemic’s impact on New Jersey,  please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @newsfallon 

Source: Asbury Park

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