Health officials in Australia said on Sunday they had detected the Covid Omicron strain for the first time after testing two passengers from southern Africa who flew to Sydney.
New South Wales’ east health agency said it had carried out an emergency genomic test and confirmed the new strain of bacteria was present in two passengers who landed in Sydney on Saturday.
Both passengers were from southern Africa and arrived in Australia on a Qatar Airways flight via Doha, NSW Health said in a statement.
They tested positive for Covid shortly after arrival, leading to an urgent analysis of the infectivity of the heavily mutated strain of Omicron.
“Two positive cases, with no symptoms, are being isolated in the special medical ward. Both are fully vaccinated,” NSW Health said.
Another 12 passengers from southern Africa on the same flight did not test positive for Covid but have been placed in isolation.
About 260 passengers and crew on board the plane have also been ordered to quarantine, health authorities said.
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