New Jersey residents who attended the Anime NYC 2021 Convention at the Javits Center in New York City from November 19-21 should get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible, monitor for symptoms and seek medical help if they are sick following news that a Minnesota resident who attended the conference tested positive for the Omicron variant, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) said today.
“Our expectation is that we have individuals in New Jersey who attended the convention and may potentially be at risk,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.
“I urge anyone who attended to get tested as soon as possible to stop potential spread of this variant and protect themselves, their families and communities.”
The New Jersey Department of Health collaborates and communicates with New York City and New York state health officials routinely and the Department is standing by to assist if contacts are identified or for any other assistance the City might request.
Individuals who attended the convention should monitor for 14 days following the last day of their attendance at the event. For information on testing and locations, visit covid19.nj.gov/testing.
Residents should continue to mask up where necessary, particularly if indoors and among the public and around those whose vaccination status is unknown; stay physically distant; and take other precautions such as washing hands frequently.
All residents should get vaccinated against COVID-19 if not already, and individuals over 18 should get a booster dose two months after their one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot or at least six months after their last Pfizer or Moderna shot.
To find a vaccination locations, visit covid19.nj.gov.
NJDOH’s Communicable Disease Service will be sending out an alert to New Jersey’s healthcare and public health partners notifying them of this exposure risk and asking them to encourage patients with symptoms or concerns to get tested.
NJDOH is working with local health departments, clinical laboratories, hospitals and CDC to rapidly identify individuals who may have been infected with the Omicron variant.
Identification of potential cases may occur either through a public health investigation of a positive test in an individual who recently traveled to an affected part of the world or otherwise had potential contact to an Omicron case or through findings from certain PCR tests that can suggest the variant.
NJDOH’s Public Health Laboratories are reaching out to clinical labs to be on the lookout for this pattern and to report if and when it is observed so confirmatory sequencing can occur.
In addition, together with CDC and commercial lab partners, New Jersey’s Public Health Lab continues to randomly sequence SARS-CoV-2 positive samples.
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