Key Takeaways:
- According to New South Wales (NSW) health authorities, up to five people in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, have contracted the omicron variant locally.
- However, some state and territory governments have tightened domestic border controls.
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread in Australia, with at least 15 cases reported across New South Wales and an infection suspected in Queensland.
According to New South Wales (NSW) health authorities, up to five people in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, have contracted the Omicron variant locally.
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According to NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant, the Omicron cases are linked to two schools and a climbing gym in Sydney’s western suburbs, which may also be the source of a confirmed new variant infection in the Australian Capital Territory Sunday.
In a video, Chant stated that urgent genome testing is underway for several other cases linked to the venues and that results should be available in the coming days. The outbreak was caused by infected passengers from Doha who had previously visited southern Africa.
However, federal officials have stated that they will continue with their plan to reopen the economy, hoping that the Omicron variant will be milder than previous strains of the coronavirus.
On Friday, Australia reported its first community transmission of Omicron at a Sydney school, with authorities saying they are investigating the source and that more cases are expected.
Queensland authorities suspected their first Omicron case in a person who had traveled from South Africa, and genome sequencing was underway. The Omicron variant was discovered in southern Africa last month and has since spread to the United States and South Korea.
According to the WHO, Australia has only had about 834 confirmed Covid-19 cases also 7.9 deaths per 100,000 people, which is a fraction of what many other developed countries have experienced. In Australia, there have been just under 215,000 cases and 2,042 deaths.
Source: Hindustantimes News
