MELBOURNE

Australia on Monday reported the country's first fatality from the omicron variant of coronavirus.

The Health Department of the New South Wales (NSW) state announced that a male patient in his 80s, who died in the state's capital Sydney, was the first person to die from the omicron variant in Australia.

Noting that there has been an increase in the hospitalization rate of those infected with the omicron variant, the NSW Health Department said that the person who died had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, but he had other health problems.

In NSW and other states of the country, where the number of cases has increased rapidly, wearing masks indoors was made mandatory.

Meanwhile, the authorities reported three more deaths each from COVID-19 in NSW and Victoria states -- where the delta and omicron variants are most effective -- bringing the total deaths from the pandemic to 2,196.

With the new additions, a total of 311,303 people have been infected with the virus since Jan. 25 last year, when the virus was first reported in Australia.

In the country where there are still 66,914 active cases, 1,055 people continue to be treated at the hospital, 139 of them in intensive care.

New Zealand

According to the test results in the last 24 hours, the New Zealand Health Ministry announced that 44 more people were diagnosed with COVID-19, including 10 people who returned to the country from abroad.

Noting that there are 13,091 active cases in the country, the ministry reported that 41 people, eight of whom are in intensive care, are under treatment in hospital.

To date, the country has registered 50 virus-related fatalities and 13,899 cases.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara