NSW is facing a new subvariant of Omicron that's spreading in the state and could see COVID-19 cases double within weeks.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has urged people not to delay getting their booster shot as concern over the Omicron subvariant grows.With national daily death tolls on a slow decline, NSW is facing a new subvariant of Omicron that's spreading in the state, and could see COVID-19 cases double within weeks.
Mr Hazzard is also concerned people have become complacent about getting a booster shot, with just 56.3 per cent of people having had three vaccine doses."While the community may have gone to sleep on the virus, the virus has not gone to sleep on the community," he said.Acting Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale said the technical term for the Omicron BA2 sub-variant is a "sublineage" and the dominant form of that in NSW had been BA1.
Mr Hazzard said the government was trying to ensure virus-positive people arriving at evacuation centres will be cared for in a safe location.Queensland records five deaths There are 252 patients being treated for COVID-19 in hospital and another 17 in intensive care, with Ms Palaszczuk saying both numbers are falling despite the recent floods in the state's southeast."That does not mean that COVID is not out there, and it's not having an impact on people and some people are ending up in hospital and tragically some people are losing their lives."Victoria has reported eight COVID-19-related deaths and another 7,779 infections.
Singing and dancing will be allowed in all settings while most people who contract COVID-19 will only be required to isolate for seven days, down from 10.NT reports one COVID-19-related death Eighty people are in hospital with the virus, including three who are in intensive care but are not believed to be on ventilators.Authorities expect the outbreak to peak at around 10,000 daily infections as soon as next week, with hospitalisations to lag beyond that.