New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a tweet on Thursday evening that the state had confirmed five cases of COVID-19’s Omicron variant.

She wrote in the tweet, “New York State has confirmed five cases of the omicron variant. Let me be clear: This is not cause for alarm. We knew this variant was coming and we have the tools to stop the spread.”

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According to reports from ABC News, Hochul also conducted a press briefing on Thursday to make the announcement. She was joined by New York mayor Bill de Blasio.

The two reportedly announced that all of the cases are said to be mild and everyone recovered at home.

Out of the five cases two were discovered in Queens, one in Suffolk County, one in Brooklyn and one in New York City, the state officials announced.

The news comes just hours after Minnesota announced they had confirmed an Omicron variant case in an individual who recently travelled to New York City for a convention.

David Chokshi, the Health Commissioner of New York City, said that there was a community spread of COVID-19 throughout the state, according to reports from CNBC.

The New York Governor passed a sense of assurance to the state’s residents, saying that the discovery of the cases does not mean a statewide lockdown. 

She said, “We are in a far better place, that people are informed. There is not a panic. It is still a public health crisis, but does not have to be a crisis that leads to the shutdown”, CNBC reported.

New York became the fourth state in the country to report the presence of COVID’s Omicron variant. However, the number of cases in New York are currently more than all remaining cases in the United States combined. Colorado, Minnesota and California have all, so far, reported one case each.