First Australian case of Omicron Covid-14 variant admitted to hospital in NSW

NSW has recorded Australia’s first hospital admission of Omicron, as cases of the new variant continue to rise.

The state recorded 485 new Covid-19 cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, as the growing tally of Omicron infections rose to 55.

Health officials confirmed one patient with Omicron is in hospital, becoming the first admission in Australia with the new variant.

The patient is among 156 Covid patients being treated in hospital. 

NSW Health has warned the number of Omicron cases will rise as results of genomic testing are confirmed.

NSW Covid cases have slightly dropped following two consecutive days of more than 500 infections.

Two men have died in hospital, one aged in his 70s while the other was in his 80s. Both were unvaccinated.  

The state had on Saturday recorded the highest number of cases since October 9, two days before lockdown lifted.

A string of existing restrictions will be scraped on December 15 as planned, including density limits, QR check-ins risk venues, and masks.

Experts have warned cases will continue to rise as restrictions are eased.

‘It is quite possible and quite likely that we will see a further increase with the unvaccinated being able to mix in those venues,’ infectious diseases specialist Sanjaya Senanayake told Weekend Today on Sunday.

‘However, New South Wales is very well vaccinated so hopefully we should be able to contain those increasing cases.’ 

Meanwhile, Victoria recorded 1069 new cases and two deaths as Queensland recorded one new cases.

The  returned traveller from Nigeria currently in hotel quarantine ‘likely’ has the Omicron variant.

‘We’re very closely following his genomic sequencing results which should be available in the next two days … obviously very interested whether this maybe Omicron,’ Deputy Chief Health Officer James Smith said.