MILWAUKEE — At least five people in Northern California have contracted the omicron variant of the coronavirus, and the outbreak is linked to a wedding in Wisconsin last month, public health officials said Friday.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services said that no cases have been identified in Wisconsin, but DHS and City of Milwaukee Health department are investigating the matter. They are reaching out to Wisconsinites who came in contact with those who are infected. 

The wedding took place at an undisclosed location in Milwaukee County on Nov. 27. There are 12 coronavirus cases linked to the wedding so far, but only 5 are confirmed to be the omicron variant. The other seven cases are still undergoing testing.

One person who attended the wedding had recently traveled internationally. 

All 12 people infected are vaccinated, between 18 and 49 years old. Most of them have received boosters, according to DHS. DHS said none of them have been hospitalized and are only experiencing mild symptoms.

The outbreak was announced just two days after the first U.S. case of the omicron variant was identified in California. Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious than previous strains, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine.

Read the entire press release from DHS here.

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