Australia’s most populous state reports first Omicron death

A man has a swab taken at a drive-through Covid-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney (AP)

Australia’s New South Wales state has reported more than 6,000 new Covid-19 cases and confirmed its first death from the Omicron variant.

The fatal case was identified as a man in his 80s who was infected at a care facility in western Sydney. He was fully vaccinated but had underlying health conditions.