Not long ago, the United States confirmed its second case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant as the new strain makes its way across the globe. After the first was found in San Francisco earlier this week, the White House has identified a second case out of Minnesota. It turns out the individual tested positive after attending Anime NYC late last month and returned home.
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Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, relayed the message to journalists during a briefing today. “There’s a resident, a male – he had been vaccinated and developed mild symptoms on November 22 and did COVID-19 testing on November 24. Their symptoms have resolved,” Psaki shared.
“[They] reported having traveled to New York City and attending the Anime NYC 2021 convention at the Javits center from the 19th through the 21st.”
For those unfamiliar with the convention, Anime NYC is one of the biggest gatherings celebrating all things otaku on the east coast. After going virtual in light of the pandemic, Anime NYC returned to its in-person event with strict safety guidelines. Anyone who attended the event had to provide proof of vaccination if they were over 12-years-old. Proof of vaccination had to be given following a person’s first dose.
As for children in attendance, they had to be tested within three days of attending, and everybody was required to wear a mask. These guidelines adhere to those recommended by the CDC, but of course, no method of COVID-19 prevention is 100% possible.
At this point, there is no word on how this new COVID-19 variant will impact future gatherings and conventions. San Diego Comic-Con held a small gathering over the Thanksgiving weekend for fans, and more are on the schedule. Things could change in light of Omicron, but data is still being collected to find whether this variant is more contagious or severe than the Delta strain.
