WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. – The omicron variant of the coronavirus has arrived in Whatcom County.
The local health department says the person who tested positive for the variant is in isolation.
Details about their condition or vaccination status haven’t been released.
New Whatcom County Health Officer Dr. Amy Harley says there’s a lot we don’t know about omicron but case counts in other places show it’s spreading rapidly.
“They’re just skyrocketing. So, we really do think that omicron is more transmissible than the delta variant,” said Harley. “It may well become the dominant variant before too long. Cases are doubling every three or four days in the region where they’ve had the most cases introduced.”
While omicron is a worry, she says we still have a big problem with delta in our county with a high rate of infection and 30 or more hospitalizations per week.
Dr. Harley is a pediatrician who urges everyone who’s eligible to get vaccinated, including children.
She’ll be sharing the Health Officer position with fellow pediatrician Dr. Greg Thompson.
They take over for Dr. Greg Stern, who was Whatcom County’s Health Officer for 23 years before retiring in September.
Listen to the full interview with Dr. Harley on our Podcast page.
