TULSA, Okla. — The omicron variant is now the most dominant strain across the country but hadn't been reported in Oklahoma until Tuesday afternoon.
Oklahoma had been one of only two states in the U.S. without a case of the new variant.
MORE >>> Omicron now represents 73% of new US COVID-19 cases, CDC says
Oklahoma's seven-day average for new cases is around 1,000 new cases. On Monday, the state reported more than 870 new cases. Over the weekend, we added about 2,460.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health says they are currently testing for the omicron variant. Each test of a suspected case goes to the Oklahoma Pandemic Center for Innovation and Excellence in Stillwater. The center opened in 2020 and aims toward detecting new variants and planning how to respond to future pandemics.
"Right now, our state is sequencing 100% of positive tests sent to the state's public health lab to monitor for and detect variants like this one," OSDH interim commissioner Keith Reed said.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the best way to protect yourself against the new variant is to not only get vaccinated but the booster shot as well.
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