Kansas reports 2nd omicron case; it’s in the Lawrence area

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has confirmed a second case of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment notified the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health on Friday that the variant had been found in the community. The announcement came one just day after the state’s first case of the variant was confirmed Thursday in neighboring Franklin County. Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, deputy county health officer, said detection of the variant in the county does not come as a surprise as it has rapidly spread across the country since the first confirmed U.S. case of Omicron was identified on Dec. 1.