First case of highly contagious omicron COVID-19 variant confirmed in Johnson County
A Johnson County man has tested positive for the omicron variant of COVID-19, the first such case in the county and third in the Kansas City area this week.
Public health officials are investigating the man’s case and will communicate with anyone who he might have come into contact with, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment announced Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether the man, who is under 30 years old, had received vaccine or booster shots, but health officials urged anyone who is not fully vaccinated or has yet to receive their booster to get them as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads across the region and country.
“The best way to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of Johnson County’s health department. “Get your first, second or booster dose as soon, when eligible, as you can to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
The man is the third person to test positive for the omicron variant in the Kansas City area this week after two Wyandotte County residents — both fully vaccinated and between 20 and 39 years old — tested positive earlier this week.
No confirmed omicron cases have been reported in the Kansas City area in Missouri as of Wednesday, but health officials confirmed the state’s first omicron case in St. Louis earlier this month and have since detected the variant in wastewater samples taken near Raytown and in St. Joseph.
The omicron variant now accounts for 90% of new COVID cases across large swaths of the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday, and CDC data show that omicron accounted for just over 30% of new cases in the four-state region of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa through the end of last week.
On Wednesday, Dec. 22, the Kansas City metro added 786 new COVID cases, bringing the total number of cases to 231,496 since the pandemic began. The metro has recorded 2,238 deaths.
Johnson County’s announcement comes as both new cases and hospitalizations across the metro rise to their highest levels since the end of the summer, when the delta variant became the predominant strain of new COVID infections. Despite the surge and concerns that holiday travel and gatherings could fuel those increases further, officials across the metro have said they are not yet considering any new restrictions in light of the fast-spreading variant.
“JCDHE is not aware of any plans for a community wide mandate,” Areola said in a statement. “Data and appropriate recommendations are constantly discussed with elected officials and policy makers so they can make informed decisions.”
The health department will continue to host vaccination clinics over the holidays, including its second vaccine clinic for children 5 to 11 years old.
The children’s clinic will be held from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Sunset Drive Office Building at 11811 S. Sunset Drive in Olathe.
Vaccinations for anyone age 5 and older also are available by appointment from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Mission clinic at 6000 Lamar Avenue in Mission. Appointments can be made online at jocogov.org/coronavirus or by calling the community hotline at 913-715-2819.
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 5:32 PM.
