JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Although there have been no cases of the new COVID-19 variant omicron in Missouri or in the rest of the U.S., local health officials are continuing to monitor for it.

Last week, the World Health Organization classified omicron as a “variant of concern.” The variant was first discovered in South Africa and has been confirmed in several European countries, Canada, China and Israel.

Missouri state and local health officials said Tuesday they are monitoring lab and environmental results to identify any circulating variant in the community. In Missouri, the delta variant accounts for more than 99% of the COVID-19 variants.

To help with monitoring statewide, Missouri health care providers have been submitting specimens from eligible patients to the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory as part of the state’s variant surveillance program.