New Zealand reports first case of Omicron BA.4 variant

On Sunday near the border, New Zealand reported its first case of the Omicron BA.4 variety, which was one of 12,699 community cases registered over the weekend.

The BA.4 strain of Omicron has been confirmed in a person who has travelled from overseas to New Zealand, according to the Ministry of Health.

For the first time in New Zealand, two further Omicron sub-variants, the BA.2.12.1 and the BA.2.12.2, have been discovered in two returnees.

In the meantime, in the previous two days, 13 Covid-19 deaths have been reported in New Zealand. Across addition, the government reports that 138 additional cases have been reported in the country.

Since the start of the epidemic, the country has reported 9,33,464 confirmed cases of Covid-19.