Second Omicron case confirmed in ACT as six new infections recorded

It follows a confirmed case linked to the new variant first recorded in the nation's capital on Friday evening.

The six new cases bring the active total for the ACT to 110. Six people are in hospital, including two in intensive care. None require ventilation.

The total number of cases for this outbreak now stands at 2032.

An additional three casual exposure sites were added on Sunday, including The Knox Made in Watson, Tilley's Devine Cafe in Lyneham and the Holy Spirit Catholic Parish Gungahlin.

A Greens Party staffer working in Parliament House last week tested positive to the virus late on Saturday evening, prompting the building's swift closure to the public until further notice.

The political staff member is not included in Canberra's case numbers on Sunday.

Changes to quarantine requirements were announced on Saturday for close contacts of Omicron cases.

Regardless of vaccination status, close and secondary contacts of confirmed Omicron infections or close contact exposure locations will need to quarantine for a 14-day period.

A negative PCR test result on day 12 or 13 will be required before close contacts will be allowed to leave quarantine requirements.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the new variant was still being investigated and therefore additional precautions needed to be taken.

"Currently the impacts of this variant are unknown, including its rate of transmission, the severity of the disease and the effectiveness of the vaccine against it," she said.

"That is why ACT health authorities are taking a precautionary approach in increasing the quarantine requirements, even for people that are fully vaccinated, and adding those quarantine requirements for secondary household contacts at this time."

An ACT Health spokesperson on Sunday said the changes were made out of caution and to mitigate the risk for the community, particularly for those who had yet to be vaccinated.

It added it had no reason to believe fully-vaccinated close contacts would not quarantine in line with the new requirements.

"Over the course of the outbreak, we have seen that ACT residents are particularly committed to minimising the spread of COVID-19 wherever possible, and have always been committed to any contact tracing and testing requirements in place," the spokesperson said.

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The Greens and the Department of Parliamentary Services released statements over the weekend following the confirmation of a COVID-positive staff member being present during sitting week.

Contact tracing is under way to determine close contacts and exposure locations.

The staffer, who works for Greens leader Adam Bandt and lives in Victoria, is suspected of being infectious between November 30 and December 2.

"A fully vaccinated staff member on Adam Bandt's team, who was in Canberra during the last sitting week, has today [Saturday] tested positive to COVID," the Greens said in a statement on Saturday evening.

"They are currently working with ACT Health to determine if they were infectious while in Canberra.

"Other members of the team have been tested and returned negative results.

Mr Bandt was tested and received a negative result on Sunday.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) also announced on Sunday morning school-aged children will be able to start receiving their coronavirus vaccine in the middle of next month.

The medical regulator declared the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for children aged five to 11.

NSW recorded 286 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 15 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant.

There are now 148 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 26 people in intensive care and five requiring ventilation.

The state's health authorities said it expected testing was underway to confirm further possible Omicron cases, expected to be announced later on Sunday.

In Victoria, a further 980 COVID-19 cases were recorded on Sunday, including another seven deaths.

The state is managing 15,433 active coronavirus cases. Some 299 virus patients are being cared for in Victorian hospitals, with 40 of them in ICUs and 16 requiring ventilation.

Health officials say COVID testers managed to process more than 65,000 results in the 24 hours to Saturday evening.

Victoria is now 91 per cent fully vaccinated for everyone aged 12 and over.

- with AAP

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