Health Minister Greg Hunt shares ‘positive’ news about Omicron COVID-19 variant - 7NEWS.com.au

As Omicron cases continue to rise in Australia, Health Minster Greg Hunt has revealed the federal government is “cautiously optimistic” about the new COVID-19 strain.

Eight people in New South Wales and one in the Northern Territory have now been diagnosed with the variant, which emerged in South Africa last week.

Watch Greg Hunt’s full interview in the video player above

While stressing it is too early to make a call, Minister Hunt told Sunrise the latest advice provided to him is Omicron “may be more transmissible, the vaccines are likely still to have very good protection and it could be milder”.

It’s looking increasingly likely the new strain could provide a pathway out of the pandemic. Credit: Getty

“At this stage on the Australian cases, we haven’t seen anything other than asymptomatic or very mild,” he said on Friday.

Minister Hunt said Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly is “cautiously optimistic” that Omicron won’t put added strain on our health system should it spread further.

“Often with disease the course of direction is they become perhaps more transmissible but milder or less severe.”

“Now, if that’s the case then that might be a positive direction,” he added.

“But it is too early, which is why we’ve taken precautions.”

Is Omicron a ‘blessing’?

The health minister’s comments come after epidemiologist Tony Blakely said on Thursday Omicron could be the “get out of the pandemic card” experts have been waiting for.

Professor Tony Blakely spoke to Sunrise about the new COVID-19 variant. Credit: Seven

Describing the strain as a possible “blessing”, the University of Melbourne professor said should it be more infectious but make people less sick than the dominant Delta strain, it could provide a pathway out of the pandemic.

“A year ago we were hoping that a more infectious, but less virulent variant comes along, which is what Omicron might be,” he told Sunrise.

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2021-12-02 21:18:03Z
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