Omicron Cases Likely To Rise As Pfizer Provisionally Approved For Primary Aged Kids

New South Wales reported a drop in Covid cases with 208 new infections on Monday.

The new cases were detected from 61,132 swabs collected on Sunday, while 152 people are in hospital with Covid, and 24 of those are in ICU.

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At this stage 15 cases of the Omicron Covid strain have been detected in NSW, with more cases likely to be identified.

One case was reported in a student from St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School in Regents Park, follows an outbreak in Regents Park Christian School.

Heading south of the border and Victoria has reported 1073 new infections and six more Covid-related deaths.

There are currently 16,503 active coronavirus cases, with 310 people in hospital and 45 of those in ICU, while 19 are on ventilators.

Meanwhile, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (AMA) have provisionally approved the Pfizer jab for younger Australians.

The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, on Sunday said the tentative approval was “about keeping our kids safe, keeping our families safe, keeping all Australians safe”.

“From 10 January, Australian children will have access to Pfizer vaccines, and it is recommended for children right across Australia,”

- Minister Hunt

Meanwhile, AMA President Dr Omar Korshid said ATAGI still needs to give the move the tick of approval.

"What ATAGI 's got to do is work out when it should be given, how it’s to be given, and to whom it should be given."

"Those are really important questions to make sure that the vaccine program delivery saves kids from Covid and doesn't cause any harm," he said.

Currently, 88 per cent of Australians aged over 16 are fully vaccinated, while of 92.8 per cent have received their first dose of a Covid vaccine.

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