The COVID-19 Omicron variant is now in Orange County

The first cases of illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant have been identified in the last week in Orange County, including at least one case that was acquired locally. Omicron case counts are rising in Southern California and around the country. Omicron has been shown to be very efficient at transmission with a doubling time of ~2-3 days compared to ~14 days for the Delta variant.

Omicron will likely soon become the dominant variant in our county, but the delta variant is still present as well. In the coming weeks, it will be critical to perform whole genome sequencing (WGS), particularly for hospitalized patients, to determine the burden of serious disease being caused by the different variants and the effectiveness of vaccination and treatment.

Latino Health Access has all three COVID-19 vaccines available along with the 3rd dose, boosters, and the Pfizer children’s 5-11 vaccine. If you’d like to make an appointment call them at 714-805-7838. Walk-ins are welcome. Latino Health Access can also do COVID-19 testing.

Guidance for the Public

• The California Department of Public Health has instituted an indoor mask mandate that is in effect until January 15, 2022 for both the unvaccinated as well as the fully.
• Individuals should continue to test 3-5 days after any travel outside of the state.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Communicable Disease Control Division at 714-834-8180.