Omicron Australia Covid updates: NSW confirms sixth case of new variant, SA records first local Covid cases since borders reopened

South Australia has recorded its first locally acquired cases since reopening its borders, with a former premier testing positive after a school reunion.

South Australia has recorded its first locally acquired Covid-19 cases since borders opened last week.

SA Health on Wednesday confirmed the two cases are men in their 50s who attended the same event with interstate travellers. Another is a child in quarantine.

They are the first reported local transmission since the state opened to New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT last week.

The Advertiser reports former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has tested positive after attending an event with the first two cases, understood to be a school reunion.

Meanwhile, there are now six known cases of the Omicron variant in the country, with five of those in NSW and one in the Northern Territory.

Read on for the latest updates on the Omicron situation. You can find yesterday’s blog here.

SA records first local cases since reopening border

Former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a school reunion in Norwood in Adelaide’s east.

Mr Weatherill is the latest to test positive after South Australia on Wednesday recorded three new Covid-19 cases, its first locally acquired cases since borders opened last week.

SA Health confirmed the two cases are men in their 50s who attended the reunion with another positive case, an interstate traveller.

The third is a child who acquired her infection overseas and has been in quarantine since arrival.

It is understood Mr Weatherill was at the same event as the first two cases.

One of the infected men then went to a function last night with Business SA. It is among one of a number of new exposure sites listed by SA Health.

“We are taking an abundance of caution approach,” chief executive Martin Haese told the Advertiser.

“All of the guests at the event were double vaccinated after I brought in that measure on November 23.”

COVID-19 HEALTH ALERT 1 December 2021

SA Health has identified new COVID-19 exposure locations in South Australia.

If you attended an exposure location, you are required to follow the relevant health advice.

More information is available at https://t.co/4sJYadglJupic.twitter.com/z0t5kuRKif

— SA Health (@SAHealth) December 1, 2021

NSW confirms sixth case of Omicron

NSW Health has revealed a sixth traveller has been infected with the Omicron variant. The fully vaccinated traveller, who recently visited southern Africa, arrived on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on 25 November and tested positive yesterday. They are currently isolating in Sydney.

“Everyone on the flight has already been deemed a close contact and has been instructed to get tested immediately for COVID-19 and isolate for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status,” NSW Health revealed in a statement

“At this point in the investigation, NSW Health is aware of at least six people on this flight who had been in southern Africa in the previous 14 days.”

According to authorities, there is currently no evidence that transmission occurred on the flight.

“However, investigations into the five COVID-19 positive passengers on the flight, which includes two confirmed cases with the Omicron variant, are ongoing,” the statement continued.

NSW Health revealed one venue was visited by the sixth Omicron case:

- Liverpool Chemist Warehouse, The Grove, Units 3 - 6, 18, Orange Grove Road on Monday 29 November 8:10pm – 8:15pm.

McGowan hints at WA border reopening

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has spoken on the future of the state as its inevitable border reopening looms. The Premier congratulated the state’s efforts in reducing the spread of the virus over the past two years but said restrictions “cannot last forever”.

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon at a State of the State address, Mr McGowan assured WA’s health system had been bolstered for the inevitable spike in cases once borders to the rest of Australia -- and overseas -- reopen.

The Premier did not flag a particular date for the reopening but confirmed it would be announced after next week’s National Cabinet meeting.

Mr McGowan also revealed state will also be spending $185 million in a reopening package designed to “market WA to the world”, focusing on tourism and international events. The announcement came barely a day after the Premier was slammed for throwing a spanner in the works for the upcoming Ashes series, requiring players and staff complete a 14-day quarantine.

“Despite all the political attacks, the WA strategy has been vindicated. It has been successful but cannot last forever,” he said.

“We will very shortly announce the easing of our border regime, meaning Covid will follow in time.

“We’ve invested billions in our healthcare system to have the capacity to deal with it when it arrives. Our contact tracing system has also been boosted. We are confident we can lock in the reopening date sometime after next week’s National Cabinet meeting.”

Our State’s careful and cautious approach to the pandemic has served us well.
But in around a couple of months’ time, in line with our double dose vaccination rate hitting 90%, WA will safely ease border controls with all other States and resume international travel. pic.twitter.com/W2FZGc0Eqj

— Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) December 1, 2021

Mr McGowan said the state’s economic performance throughout the pandemic was proof WA’s “cautious approach” was the correct move, despite ongoing criticism.

“The virtue of our cautious approach gives WA a new brand of safety and security that we will market to the rest of the world,” he said.

The Premier said the emergence of the Omicron variant had not yet affected the state’s reopening plan.

“Omicron is not the first variant of concern and it will not be the last. We will continue with our reopening plan but as always we will be following the health advice to keep WA safe,” he said.

Health Minister’s big lockdown call

Health Minister Brad Hazzard has made a big call about future lockdowns in NSW, telling reporters it is “time for a change” in the state’s Covid response.

His comments came on Wednesday after it was revealed a “likely” sixth case of Omicron had been detected in Western Sydney.

The man in his 40s arrived in Sydney from Nigeria last Thursday and spent six days in the community in the city's southwest before testing positive to Covid-19.

Asked whether this could mean more lockdowns for Sydney, Mr Hazzard said he and Premier Dominic Perrottet weren’t keen on the idea of bringing back stay-at-home orders.

“As one who has delivered that bad news to the community on many occasions, I feel like it’s time for a change in approach,” he said.

“We don’t know how many more variants of this virus are going to come.

“So, I think the challenge for us as a government and the other governments, particularly the Victorian government, that we’re working very closely with, is to strike a difference balance to the ones we had in the past.”

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard speaks to the media. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

‘Likely’ sixth Omicron case in NSW community

A man officials say is “likely” to have the Omicron variant was out in the community for six days before being diagnosed with the virus.

The man in his 40s arrived to Sydney from Nigeria, where he had been spending the past six months, last Thursday.

The fully vaccinated man tested positive to Covid-19 yesterday, with genomic sequencing underway to determine if he has the Omicron variant.

“We believe it’s likely it will be confirmed later this afternoon as a definite Omicron case,” Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.

The man has been residing in Cabramatta, in Sydney’s southwest, and is believed to have been out in the community during his infectious period.

Mr Hazzard said officials should be able to confirm which variant he has by 7pm.

“The reason he was tested is he does have symptoms. But I understand at this point they’re mild symptoms,” he said.

“We’re hoping that stays the case. And I thank him for coming forward and being tested.”

If he is confirmed as having the Omicron variant, this will be the sixth case in NSW and seventh in Australia.

Police arrest quarantine escapees

Northern Territory Police have arrested three people who broke out of a hotel quarantine facility in the early hours of this morning.

The trio absconded from the Howard Springs quarantine facility at around 4.40am, with police claiming they scaled the fence before fleeing the area.

Police announced just before 10.30am that they had located the trio and had taken them into custody.

All three tested negative to Covid-19 yesterday.

Three people escape from NT quarantine facility

Three people have escaped from a Northern Territory quarantine facility just days after a positive Omicron case was confirmed in the region.

Northern Territory Police confirmed the people absconded from the Howard Springs quarantine facility at around 4.40am on Wednesday.

Police allege the escapee’s scaled the fence and fled the area.

The situation is still unfolding and a police investigation is underway.

Investigators are working to confirm the identities of the three people before releasing any more information.

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Several people have escaped from the Howard Springs quarantine facility. Picture Glenn Campbell

The news comes after a man tested positive to the Omicron variant after arriving in Darwin from South Africa on November 25.

The man has been in quarantine at the Howard Springs facility.

“I can confirm today that the genomic sequencing has shown that the man does have the Omicron variant of Covid-19,” NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said earlier this week.

“So [it is] the first case for the Northern Territory.”

Victoria and NSW case numbers

NSW has recorded 251 new Covid-19 cases and no deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

At least 92.5 per cent of residents over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated and 94.6 per cent have had one dose.

Victoria has recorded 1179 new Covid-19 cases and six deaths.

At least 91 per cent of Victorians over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated.

New revelation about Omicron origin

New data has exposed a stunning revelation about the origin of the Omicron Covid-19 strain, as Australia deals with at least six cases of the new variant.

On Tuesday, Dutch health authorities revealed the Omicron variant was present in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, and before South Africa had first reported the new strain of Covid-19.

The variant was found in two test samples from November 19 and 23, with one having no travel history, suggesting that the variant was already circulating in the Netherlands, the RIVM public health institute said.

New research has revealed Omicron was detected in other regions before South Africa. Picture: Jens Schlueter/Getty Images

The first Omicron cases in the Netherlands were previously believed to have been the cluster of 14 among passengers on two flights from South Africa that arrived in Amsterdam on Friday.

The Netherlands now joins other European countries including Belgium and Germany that have reported cases of the new strain before it was officially notified by South Africa to the World Health Organisation on November 24.

“We found two additional cases of Omicron variant which have been sampled on the 19th and 23rd of November,” RIVM infectious diseases chief Aura Timen told AFP.

“So that points at the presence already of this variant in the Netherlands.”

The revelation comes as many countries have already slammed their borders shut to southern Africa, with Australia banning travellers from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Malawi.

– AFP

Omicron Australia’s ‘first real test of living with Covid’

One of NSW’s top doctor’s has said the new Omicron variant has been “our first real test of what it is like to live with Covid-19”.

Head of the NSW AMA branch, Dr Danielle McMullen, said NSW has been bracing for an increase in Covid cases ever since the last round of eased restrictions.

She told Today it will likely be weeks before the true impact of Omicron is known.

“How severe [the cases] are, and how they will impact our lives, really remains to be seen,” Dr McMullen said.

“I think it will be another couple of weeks before we really know what this variant means.”

Key information about Omicron could take weeks

An infectious disease expert has said it will likely take weeks before key information about the Omicron Covid variant is known.

Medical Virologist Professor Dominic Dwyer told Sunrise there were three main things that needed to be determined before the true risk posed by this new variant could be known.

“I think there are three things we need to know how easily does a virus spread, what sort of disease does cause – severe or mild – and do our vaccines work against this new strain,” he said.

“That evidence takes a bit of time and I would have thought it’ll be a couple of weeks yet before we know.”

World Health Organisation spokesperson Dr Margaret Harris agreed with Professor Dwyer, telling the program saying it is still “early days” and it would take time before the true nature of the variant can be uncovered.

She said one of the current concerns is the high number of mutations seen in this variant and the news that some people have caught Omicron, despite being previously infected with Covid.

“Some of the information we’re getting from South Africa was that there seemed to be some people were being reinfected,” Dr Harris said.

“So people who have been infected with the previous strain seem to be in reinfected with this one.”

NSW to increase Covid fines

The NSW Government has announced it will increase penalties for noncompliance as it continues to take a precautionary approach to the Omicron variant, which has been detected in five people across the state.

In a Tuesday night release, officials said the Government was continuing with its quarantine arrangements for overseas arrivals in line with additional national border security measures by the Australian Government.

Returning travellers from hotspot nations must enter hotel quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of their vaccination status.

All other overseas travellers must complete a PCR test and isolate for 72 hours at a nominated address or accommodation.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has ramped up Covid fines. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

“People will only be able to exit isolation at the end of the 72 hour period if they have received a negative result,” the update read. “After exiting isolation people must complete an additional PCR test on day six after arrival and comply with the NSW Health guidelines for recent fully vaccinated arrivals.

The NSW Government has increased penalties for noncompliance with the isolation, testing and quarantine requirements to $5,000 for individuals (from $1,000) and $10,000 for corporations (from $5,000).

The new changes will be in place from midnight tonight (December 1st).

“We are well prepared here in NSW but it is important we take the necessary steps to protect the community and adopt measures that will allow us to learn to live with Covid,” Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

“We will continue to make any necessary changes as we receive updated information. Our overriding message, as always, is to continue to get vaccinated. It is still the best way to protect yourself and your family.”

Latest Omicron case was out in the community

A fifth Omicron case was confirmed in NSW on Tuesday.

The case is a woman in her 30s who touched down in Sydney from South Africa on Saturday, November 25.

The woman, who is fully vaccinated, arrived in Sydney on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney and travelled by private car to the Central Coast. She had been in southern Africa, and is now isolating at home on the Central Coast.

She reportedly spent time in a number of venues on the NSW Central Coast before testing positive.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told 7 NEWS the woman “has essentially been out in the Central Coast area”.

“This particular lady came in before the new arrangements, that is transferring to a health hotel, so she has been out in the community and health is now investigating that,” he said.

It brings the total number of Omicron cases nationwide to six.

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed below is a casual contact and must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

• Coles, Top Ryde Shopping Centre: Friday, November 26, 9.30am to 10.45am

• Target Parramatta, Westfield Parramatta: Friday November 26, 10.45am to 11am

• H&M Parramatta, Westfield Parramatta: Friday November 26, 11am to 11.15am

• The Athlete’s Foot, Westfield Parramatta: Friday November 26, 11.15am to 11.30am

• JD Sports, Westfield Parramatta: Friday November 26, 11.15am to 12pm

• Rebel Sports, Westfield Parramatta: Friday November 26, 12pm to 12.45pm

• IGA, North Wyong: Friday November 26, 6.15pm to 7pm

• Pizza Hut, Wyong: Friday November 26, 7pm to 7.15pm

• KFC North, Wyong: Friday November 26, 7.15pm to 7.30pm

• Woolworths, Wadalba: Friday November 26, 7.30pm to 8.15pm

• Aldi, Toukley: Saturday November 27, 4.45pm to 5.45pm

Anyone who attended those venue at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.