The different parts of the United States are focussing on taking tough steps to curb the further rise of the Omicron variant. Since the outbreak of this new subtype in the US, the healthcare authorities and State Governments are urging more and more citizens to follow the basic precautionary measures to protect themselves from the Covid 19 virus.
The State Of California Announced A Mask Mandate Rule In Public Areas
As per statistics available from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Covid-19 infection has resulted in the deaths of more than 800,000 individuals and contaminated an estimated 50 million in the United States since January 2020. Researchers are still unsure whether the omicron subtype causes milder COVID-19, but far more factors may be surfacing from Southern Africa.
According to the World Health Organization, in comparison to previous waves of the delta variant, the omicron variant has led to fewer hospitalization and mortalities in the United States.
Although it’s been only 3 weeks since omicron had first been confirmed in the world, researchers warn that this will take several more weeks to determine whether this new strain is more lethal than the delta variant or not. As of now, the initial studies show the omicron variant is less severe but carries more mutants than the delta.
While delta remains the most common strain globally, omicron has already reached more than 22 countries. According to the researchers, since this omicron subtype raises massive global concerns about the latest virus infections, People in the united states’ concerns about contamination are on the rise once more.
Last week New York Governor, Kathy Hochul announced that her administration has planned to impose a strict vaccine mandate rule in the state and those who are found not following the rule will be fined $1000.
New York was the first state to introduce this mandate after the outbreak of the omicron variant and as per her statement, the mask mandate is applicable for all as during the festive season more people will be going for shopping, indoor and outdoor gatherings, parties so we need to create a safer environment for the citizens.
After New York, The State of California also declared a mask mandate rule for all the population irrespective of the vaccination coverage. As per the Governor, for the next 30 days, California will enforce a state-wide mask policy for all indoor crowded locations.
California health experts also strongly advise that citizens who come back to the country after traveling and foreign visitors who travel health check for Covid 19 within three to five days of their entry to the state as maximum cases of the omicron variant has been detected from the international travelers.
Although Omicron is extremely communicable, the delta version continues to remain responsible for a significant increase in the number of new cases in the Country. Despite the growing problems, fewer Americans report wearing masks or distancing themselves on a continuous basis.