New South Wales has seen a spike in Omicron Covid-19 cases today as authorities work to find the source of infection of a cluster in Sydney's west.
There are now 25 confirmed Omicron cases in NSW, an increase of 10 infections since Sunday.
NSW Health is continuing to investigate the source of infection of a cluster of cases at Regents Park Christian School, St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School in Regents Park, and the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym in Villawood in South Western Sydney.
Despite the Omicron outbreak, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has assured residents that the state would be going ahead with plans to further ease restrictions on December 15.
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Advertise with NZME.This change will see unvaccinated residents included in the state's new freedoms, along with an end to mask-wearing in the majority of indoor settings, QR code check-ins only required at limited venues and an end to density limits.
"We also know this variant won't be the last one," Perrottet said. "That is why vaccines remain our best defence. Covid-19 is not going anywhere anytime soon so we must learn to live alongside it. Going into lockdown or closing borders is not the solution; getting the jab is."
The leaders of NSW and Victoria have agreed to keep the border between the states open, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews saying no further restrictions would be imposed to keep Omicron out.
Speaking on Sunday, Andrews said he and Perrottet had been in contact and had agreed they would not pursue an "Omicron zero" strategy.
"The notion that we try and keep this out forever … that just doesn't make sense," Andrews said.
He said both he and his NSW counterpart agreed it was important to reassure residents that the borders weren't at risk of shutting ahead of Christmas.
"We think that's important not just for the people of Victoria and NSW, but if Victoria and NSW are working closely together, I reckon that's pretty good for the rest of the country as well," Andrews said.
In South Australia, new restrictions on travellers from NSW, Victoria and ACT have been imposed after Premier Steven Marshall announced authorities were "extraordinarily concerned" about the Omicron variant.
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Advertise with NZME.He said people from NSW, Victoria and the ACT would be required to have a Covid test on arrival into the state. If they planned on staying in South Australia, they would need to have a further test on day six.
"We don't know enough about the Omicron variant at this stage so we are being extremely cautious," he said.
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Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan also last week stood by his decision to maintain travel restrictions for most of the country.
The state's borders are set to come down when 90 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, expected in late January or early February.
WA's policy deviates from the national cabinet plan to drop borders at 80 per cent, but after the Federal Government announced a ban on travel from nine countries in southern Africa over concerns about the Omicron variant, McGowan took a thinly veiled swipe at his critics.
"I think what the Federal Government has done is a fair enough measure. I support it," he said. "It turns out that borders and measures to keep people out who might be infected work."
