US announces first recorded Omicron-related death

HOUSTON - An unvaccinated man living in Harris County, Texas, is believed to be the first victim having died from the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the United States, local media reported Monday.

"Sad to report the first local fatality from the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A man in his 50s from the eastern portion of Harris County who was not vaccinated," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo tweeted earlier in the day.

The victim had an underlying health condition, she added.

Reports from ABC News and Fox News said this is believed to be the first recorded Omicron-related death in the United States.

Omicron accounts for 73.2 percent of new cases across the country in the week that ended on Dec 18, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.