New York state has confirmed 20 circumstances of the omicron variant of Covid-19, with 13 discovered within the New York Metropolis, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced Thursday. 

Hochul stated the state expects these case numbers to “proceed to rise,” and famous that there’s neighborhood unfold of the brand new variant. 

“At this level we’re ready to say what we’ve got is neighborhood unfold,” the governor stated at a press convention in New York Metropolis. “It’s not coming from individuals who have traveled, it’s being unfold in the neighborhood.” 

The announcement comes one week after New York state confirmed its first five cases of the highly mutated omicron variant. 

It was first recognized in southern Africa in later November and has since been discovered in additional than 20 U.S. states and 57 international locations internationally, in accordance with the WHO. Scientists are nonetheless scrambling to reply questions concerning the variant’s severity, transmissibility and affect on vaccine efficacy.