WASHINGTON (AP) — A person in California has become the first  in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

That’s according to a U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

The news comes as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new strain of the virus.

The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread.

Clusters of cases have also been identified in about two dozen other nations.

Dr. Anthony Fauci: “The California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health and the CDC have confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 among an individual in California was caused by the omicron variant.”

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— CSPAN (@cspan) December 1, 2021