Health experts say there are four new cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in New York.

They say that brings the total to 12 confirmed cases in the state right now.

Officials say it’s too soon to tell how severe the variant is. "We're not sure yet how bad it's going to be. There's a lot of mixed reports coming out of South Africa as to how virulent it is and how sick people get," says Dr. Mangala Narasimhan, of Northwell Health Critical Care Services.

Doctors continue to urge vaccines, booster shots and wearing masks as the best protection right now from COVID-19.