MCPHERSON - The McPherson County Health Department today released the following statement concerning the identification of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the county.
McPherson County Health Department (MCHD) was notified today that the Omicron COVID-19 variant has been detected in a McPherson County resident. Further information is being collected by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). At this time, KDHE does not recommend anything different from normal case isolation and contact quarantine.
As our local hospitals feel the impact of increasing hospitalizations due to both COVID-19 and other ailments, it is pertinent those who are eligible get vaccinated. Please continue to stay home when sick and take necessary precautions when gathering. Be proactive and protect yourself from influenza by getting your flu shot as well. MCHD recommends all individuals 2 years old and above mask in indoor settings when 6 foot distance cannot be maintained while community transmission is high.
As of this release, there are 71 confirmed variant cases out of 82 tested specimens. At this time, these identified variants do not require additional quarantine or isolation precautions outside of what is already done for non-variant cases. More information regarding COVID-19 variants can be found at https://www.who.int/.../tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants/.
• Variant B.1.1.7 (Alpha): 6
• Variant B.1.617.2 (Delta): 28
• Variant AY.2 (Delta): 15
• Variant AY.3 (Delta): 13
• Variant AY.4 (Delta): 8
• Variant BA.1 (Omicron): 1
KDHE and MCHD continue to mandate a 10-day quarantine for Kansans. This quarantine does not apply if you have been fully vaccinated for at least 2 weeks and are asymptomatic. The travel and exposure related quarantine list can be found at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/175/Travel-Exposure-Related-Isolation-Quaran.
COVID-19 data in McPherson County can be found on the home page of mcphersoncountyks.us, under “McPherson County COVID-19 Dashboard.” This data will continue to be updated Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week.