Gavin Newsom calls omicron’s California arrival ‘predictable,’ encourages COVID vaccinations

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said he wasn’t surprised about the confirmation of California’s first case of the omicron variant of COVID-19, saying officials were able to identify the case due to the state’s “aggressive” testing protocols.

Newsom made the comments while speaking at Frank Sparkes Elementary School in the Merced County community of Winton.

State and San Francisco Department of Public Health officials confirmed the case was a traveler who returned to California from South Africa on Nov. 22.

“This was predicted and it again is not surprising in the state of California because of its sequencing and because of it’s aggressive testing protocols, including by the way, creation of our own state testing lab and the work we continue to do to lean in and not be shy, in terms of being led by science…and mindful that we all need to be humble in the face of these mutations and variants and this disease,” Newsom said.

Officials did not confirm what city or region the case was found in. The person fit in the 18-49 demographic.

The infected person is fully vaccinated and has mild symptoms that are improving, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention release said.

Newsom said the message for his visit was not changed by the news of the omicron variant, saying he was in the central San Joaquin Valley to promote vaccines and boosters.

“North of 60 million Americans have not received that vaccine, life-saving vaccine. Millions here in California still have not received it,” he said. “We’re here to highlight the importance particularly as we enter into the holiday season.”

The rate of people with boosters in Merced County is 19.4%, which is better than the lowest rate in Colusa County (15%) but far below a county like Marin (39.9%), Newsom noted.

Of the 700 partnerships with community-based organizations working to educate people on vaccines, 142 are in the central San Joaquin Valley.

“The longer we live with this virus, the more variation, the more mutations we have to face,” he said. “One thing lacks any real controversy — for those that are of sound mind (and) actually objective — that vaccines are a pathway out of this pandemic.”

The Winton elementary school was the site Wednesday of what is believed to be the first vaccine clinic for children 5 to 11 in the central San Joaquin Valley, according to Merced County Superintendent Steve Tietjen.

Educating students has a significant impact on the future of schoolchildren, he said. “We know that happens best when kids are in school with a caring, devoted, prepared teacher,” he said. “So please get your children vaccinated and keep them in school.”

Omicron

The San Francisco omicron case was the first of that variant in the United States, which restricted travel from South Africa and eight other nations on Monday as details about the variant emerged from research there.

The World Health Organization previously identified and named omicron a “variant of concern” on Nov. 26.

“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading health official, in announcing the case Wednesday at the White House.

To ensure detection and to prevent the spread of the virus and its variant, California is increasing COVID testing spots at airports across the state.

“We recognize that everyone is exhausted, and the news of a new variant can be overwhelming,” the CDPH and San Francisco Department of Public Health said in a joint statement. “It is important that we collectively focus on the things we know prevent the spread of COVID-19, and its variants.”

Health officials are urging people over 5 years of age to get their vaccinations and booster doses. They also advise masking in indoor public spaces, social distancing and staying home if you’re sick.

The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report

This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 12:48 PM.