NSW COVID Cases Rise; Victoria COVID cases on the rise; Asymptomatic, mild Omicron variant cases; Alan Tudge steps down, Greg Hunt retires, Victoria pandemic bill passes

NSW Health has confirmed that at least three students from a school in western Sydney have been infected with the worrying Omicron COVID-19 variant, with ten more cases of the coronavirus in the school under investigation .

The department said in a press release tonight that genomic sequencing confirmed two cases of COVID-19 at Regents Park Christian School to be the Omicron variant, in addition to an earlier case reported this morning.

Urgent genomic testing is underway on 10 more cases of the coronavirus at school to determine if they also have the Omicron variant.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said earlier today that the first case of Omicron confirmed at school had not traveled to southern Africa and was not linked to people who traveled overseas these weeks, which means it could be the first confirmed case of transmission of the variant. on “NSW ground”.

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NSW Health has also confirmed that the parents of a confirmed case of Omicron that was first reported yesterday, a child too young to be vaccinated, also tested positive for this variant.

NSW Health said the parents and their child “arrived on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on November 23. The family is isolated in Special Health Accommodation.

“These travelers have not been to southern Africa and NSW Health is concerned that transmission may have occurred on this flight. [The parents] are both fully vaccinated.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in NSW to 13, including three at Regents Park Christian School.

Earlier today, Hazzard urged the community to keep a “perspective” on the latest cases.

“I think the transmission is still a concern, but we also have to keep that in perspective for now, that around the world there is no clarity as to whether or not this particular variant is going to cause us any harm or not. problems that the previous variants caused, “he said.

“We don’t see people suddenly rushed to hospital. What we are seeing are people who are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms in general ”.

NSW Health has informed that people who attended the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym at 5/850 Woodville Road, Villawood on Saturday, November 27, between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. were in close contact with a confirmed case of Omicron and should get tested immediately. for COVID-19 and isolate according to public health guidelines.

He also announced a time change to which he previously announced that a confirmed case of the variant had visited Centrelink and Medicare at 56-64 Archer Street in Chatswood on Wednesday, November 24. The new time is between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Anyone who has attended this venue is a casual contact who should immediately get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received. People should continue to watch for symptoms and get tested again if they occur.