More Omicron cases detected in US

Washington: New York announced three more cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the number of cases linked to the new variant to eight.

"The Omicron variant is here, and as anticipated we are seeing the beginning of community spread," state Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said in a news release.

The variant has also been detected in Nebraska, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Utah. In New York, seven of the cases have been found in New York City, once a global epicentre of the pandemic, and the other in Suffolk County.

The arrival of Omicron comes as hospitals statewide continue to strain under a surge in coronavirus cases, most traced to the delta variant, along with staffing shortages.

The number of people testing positive statewide each day for the virus has doubled in the last 30 days.