Tokyo: Japan has so far confirmed 58 Omicron cases, including 20 in people who did not go abroad or have contact with other infected persons, the Japanese media reported on Monday.
According to NHK, most cases, 19, have been found in Osaka, while both Tokyo and Okinawa had 10, Kyoto 8, Aichi 2. Another nine prefectures had one case each.
The first Omicron case was discovered in the country earlier this month. So far, Japan has not introduced internal restrictions but stopped issuing new visas to foreigners and suspended already issued ones for businessmen and students. Meanwhile, tourists have not been able to enter the country since late December 2020, when Japan stopped issuing new visas due to the spread of the Alpha strain.
Meanwhile, Australia’s New South Wales state reported more than 6,000 new Covid-19 cases on Monday and confirmed its first death from the omicron variant.
The fatal case was identified as a man in his 80s who was infected at an aged care facility in western Sydney. He was fully vaccinated but had underlying health conditions.
New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, reported 6,324 new infections on Monday, a fall of 70 from the record number a day before. There were 524 people in hospitals, including 55 in intensive care.
New measures came into force in New South Wales on Monday, including limits of one person per 2 square metres (22 square feet) in bars and restaurants and required check-ins with QR codes in hospitality venues.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the state government is considering lifting the requirement for health workers to isolate after being exposed to Covid-19 because of staff shortages.
Victoria state reported 1,999 new cases on Monday with three deaths. State Covid-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said Victoria has moved to random genome testing for the omicron variant to better understand its spread.