The CDC has confirmed the first known U.S. case of the omicron coronavirus variant in a California resident who had recently returned from South Africa. In an address yesterday, Governor Larry Hogan urged all Maryland residents to get vaccinated and follow up with a booster shot, when the time comes. Locally, there have been 53 new COVID cases and four additional deaths. The percentage of Allegany Countians who have been vaccinated now stands at 47.6 per cent. In Maryland, the vaccination rate is at 67.8. Maryland’s positivity rate is 5.13 per cent, while the local rate is above that, at 8.34 per cent.