AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, US: Australia’s New South Wales state reported more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and confirmed its first death from the omicron variant.
The fatal case was identified as a man in his 80s who was infected at an aged care facility in western Sydney.
He was fully vaccinated but had underlying health conditions.
New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, reported 6,324 new infections on Monday, a fall of 70 from the record number a day before. There were 524 people in hospitals, including 55 in intensive care.
Victoria state reported 1,999 new cases on Monday with three deaths.
State COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said Victoria has moved to random genome testing for the omicron variant to better understand its spread. Doctors and pharmacists in New South Wales have said they are running short of vaccine doses amid a rush for shots spurred by concern over the omicron variant.
New South Wales reported 6,394 new infections, up from 6,288 a day earlier.
Meanwhile, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the new Omicron COVID-19 variant has spread to at least 22 nations across the continent.
“As of today, 22 African countries are reporting the presence of the Omicron variant,” John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC, told journalists in a briefing.
According to figures from the Africa CDC, Burkina Faso, Togo, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco and Mauritius have reported Omicron cases during the past week, reports Xinhua news agency.
“We can see clearly that the Omicron variant is spreading very quickly in Africa,” Nkengasong said.
The African Union had recently warned that travel and entry bans in connection with the emergence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant limit the free movement of people and goods, imposing immediate and significant impact on countries.
As of Friday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has increased to 9,259,813 and the death toll stood at 226,536.
Meanwhile, US authorities were monitoring dozens of cruise ships hit by COVID-19 cases, with several reportedly denied port in the Caribbean.
Over 60 vessels were under observation after “reported cases of COVID-19 have met the threshold for CDC investigation,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The Washington Post reported that several cruise liners were denied port at their scheduled destinations.
Meanwhile, with Omicron cases on the rise, New York health officials have reported an increase in hospitalised children, as the White House promised yesterday to quickly resolve the United States’ COVID-19 test shortage.
– THE HINDUSTAN TIMES, THE MALAY MAIL,PTI