First person with Omicron variant admitted to hospital in NSW

A NSW resident has become the first person in the country to taken to hospital with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Australia.

The person is the first to be admitted to hospital with the new strain, thought to be highly infectious.

The state recorded 485 new cases of coronavirus in the past day, including 10 new cases of the strain.

NSW Health said in an update more cases of the variant were expected as results of genomic testing are confirmed.

There are now 55 Omnicron cases in the state.

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Two people died with COVID-19 overnight, including an unvaccinated man in his 70s from Sydney's inner-west, at Concord Hospital.

Another unvaccinated man in his 80s from south-eastern Sydney died at Sutherland Hospital.

A total of 156 people are in hospital, including 23 in ICU, in the state.

From Wednesday, December 15 a new raft of coronavirus restrictions will ease, with the unvaccinated allowed to enter pubs and cafes and other hospitality venues and shops.

Infectious Diseases Specialist Sanjaya Senanayake told Weekend Today cases will likely increase with the new freedoms.

"It is quite possible and quite likely that we will see a further increase with the unvaccinated being able to mix in those venues," he said.

"However, New South Wales is very well vaccinated so hopefully we should be able to contain those increasing cases."

The state's rise in cases come after NSW Health eased concerns Wednesday night's AACTA Awards were a potential superspreader event.

The event is being investigated as a "low-risk" exposure site after a food and beverage worker tested positive to the virus.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory has recorded four new cases of COVID-19 and a mask mandate has been introduced to help curb the spread of the virus.

Certain communities in the Katherine region will be required to wear masks indoors when social distancing is not possible for 72 hours, starting from 2pm local time today.

The four new cases include a man in his 60s, who is not linked to the current Katherine East cluster, a four-year-old child who was in the Centre of National Resilience at Howard Springs for their entire infectious period, as well as a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl from the Katherine East cluster.

The outbreak has now grown to 71 infections.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said health authorities anticipated more positive cases over the coming days.

"Territorians should be prepared for more cases coming out of that Katherine East situation," she said.

"Elimination is not possible, it's not an option for the Territory."

More than 2030 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours.

Victoria

Victoria has recorded 1069 new cases of COVID-19 overnight and two additional deaths with the virus.

Currently there are 310 Victorians hospitalised with COVID-19 and almost 11,400 active cases being managed in the state.

There are 74 people being treated in ICU wards, 37 of whom are on ventilators.

Victoria now boasts a full two-dose vaccination rate of people aged over 12 of 92 per cent.

South Australia

There were 10 new cases of COVID-19 detected in South Australia today, with six being acquired locally, one infection from interstate and three under investigation.

The cases include two children, a teenager, four men aged between 20 and 50 and three women aged between 20 and 70.

A woman in her 50s and two men in their 30s remain in the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a stable condition with COVID-19.

The Norwood cluster sits at 33 cases.

Queensland and Australian Capital Territory

Both the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland have each recorded one new COVID-19 case.

It comes hours before the Sunshine State opens its borders to all Australians.

Queensland's case was acquired overseas with the person in hotel quarantine.

Vaccination rates have climbed to 81 per cent.

In the ACT 98.2 per cent of people aged 12 and over are double vaccinated.