Maine’s CDC said Friday evening the state had detected its first cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The agency said the Jackson Laboratory had confirmed the variant in five test samples from Penobscot County.

The variant has now been detected in 40 states.

Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said the finding was not unexpected, nor was it welcome.

1/This evening, @MEPublicHealth confirmed the first five cases of the #Omicron #COVID19 variant in #Maine.

This finding was not unexpected, given that 40 other states have already detected it. Nor was it welcome.

— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_uscdc) December 17, 2021

“While we are still learning about this new variant, the take-away for Maine people should be this: get vaccinated now and wear a mask when you’re indoors in public,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Whether it’s your first shot or your third shot, getting vaccinated can protect your health, keep you from getting seriously sick, and even save your life.”

Cases of coronavirus have already been surging in Maine, which saw another 1,150 infections on Friday and 25 additional deaths. Maine CDC Spokesman Robert Long said 19 of those deaths are from vital records reviews dating back to November through the first of this month.

383 people were in Maine’s hospitals on Friday, setting another record for the state.

Studies into the severity of omicron are still in the early stages, but the data so far suggests it spreads more rapidly than previous strains such as the Delta variant.