First U.S. Omicron-related death reported in Houston

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The first known death related to the Omicron variant in the United States was reported in Houston on Monday, officials announced.

The patient was a man in his 50s who was unvaccinated, had previously been infected with COVID-19 and had "underlying health conditions" that left him at higher risk of severe complications, Harris County Public Health said in a statement.

During a press conference, Monday night Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo also said the man was receiving Regeneron as a treatment for the illness.

Hidalgo called on people in the city to get vaccinated and receive their booster shots.

"It's the best gift you could possibly give your family," she said.

The report comes as the United States recorded 913,491 new cases during the week ending Sunday, or 130,500 cases per day, 10% higher than the previous week's average of 119,000 cases as the highly transmissible Omicron variant detected in 46 states.

Only Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Oklahoma have yet to report a case of the variant.