A new COVID-19 sub-variant has been detected in Victorian wastewater as virus case numbers across the country remain stubbornly high.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
More than 41,000 new infections were reported along with a further 35 virus-related deaths on Saturday, although seven of these were historical fatalities announced by authorities in Western Australia.
This follows almost 47,000 cases and 34 deaths reported nationally on Friday.
Net hospital admissions for COVID-19 were up two dozen patients across the country on Saturday while those in intensive care increased in number by seven.
Meanwhile, Health Victoria is monitoring the new BA.4 or BA.5 Omicron variant after samples were confirmed in a catchment at Tullamarine, north of Melbourne.
The sub-variant has been recently detected in a small number of COVID-19 cases in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Denmark, the UK and Germany.
The World Health Organisation says there are currently no known significant epidemiological differences between the new Omicron strain and the more dominant BA.2 strain.
"There is no cause for alarm with the emergence of the new sub-variants," WHO regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said this week in a statement.
"We are not yet observing a major spike in cases, hospitalisations or deaths."
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA:
NSW: 13,601 cases, 18 deaths, 1491 in hospital, 72 in ICU
Victoria: 9559 cases, eight deaths, 403 in hospital, 21 in ICU
Northern Territory: 391 cases, no deaths, 28 in hospital, none in ICU
Tasmania: 1334 cases, no deaths, 48 in hospital, one in ICU
Queensland: 5878 cases, one death, 538 in hospital, 22 in ICU
South Australia: 3749 cases, one death, 223 in hospital, eight in ICU
Western Australia: 6314 cases, seven historical deaths, 205 in hospital, eight in ICU
ACT: 856 cases, no deaths, 60 in hospital, two in ICU
Australian Associated Press
