US' second Omicron case comes from NYC anime convention

Health officials in Minnesota have announced the second case of the Covid-19 variant Omicron in the US. The infected person’s only recent travel was to an anime event in New York.

The Minnesota Department of Health made the announcement on Thursday, saying the patient experienced “mild symptoms,” but they have since been “resolved.”

The unidentified adult male is fully vaccinated, and the Anime NYC 2021 convention he attended required attendees to be inoculated against coronavirus. 

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The convention was held at the Javits Center from November 19 to 21. 

Gov. Tim Walz said the announcement of the case is “not a surprise.”

“We know that this virus is highly infectious and moves quickly throughout the world,” he said, encouraging residents to wear masks and get vaccinated. 

There are still no confirmed Omicron cases in New York, which Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed on Thursday. NY Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said, however, it’s only a matter of time before they find a case in the state. 

“We now have an exposure, we fully expect that it will be detected in coming days,” she said. 

The Minnesota case is the second in the US, following the discovery of one patient in California. That person was also experiencing mild symptoms and had recently traveled to South Africa, one of multiple nations the US and others have placed travel restrictions on since Omicron was first discovered.