Omicron Detected in Benton, Franklin Counties

(Kennewick, WA) -- The Benton-Franklin Health District says the first cases of Omicron-variant COVID-19 have been confirmed in both Benton and Franklin Counties. In a statement, the health district said specimens were collected between the 4th-8th of December. Sequencing results are usually available 7-10 days after specimen collection.

The samples the laboratory tested were from:
• Two Benton County residents in their 40s
• A Benton County resident in their 80s
• A Franklin County resident in their 40s

“On Dec. 1, when the first case was reported in the United States, we shared that it
was a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if,’ the Omicron variant of COVID-19 would be detected
here,” said health officer Dr. Amy Person.