Prognosis

Omicron Now 90% of Cases in Australian State, Says Health Chief

Deaths, hospitalization numbers rising slower than cases
More than half New South Wales ICU Covid patients unvaccinated

Medical workers at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital ambulance entrance in Sydney on Jan. 10.Photographer: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

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By Ainslie Chandler and Sybilla Gross

January 12, 2022 at 2:30 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Australia’s Covid case numbers continue to surge but deaths and hospitalization rates are gaining much more slowly than overall infections, as omicron becomes the dominant variant.

Omicron represents about 90% of cases in New South Wales state, Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant told reporters Wednesday, the remainder being delta variant. Omicron is now responsible for about 67% of Covid-19 cases in intensive care units across the state, she said.