The first death from the Omicron strain of the coronavirus has been confirmed in Australia, the health department of the state of New South Wales reports.
"A man in his 80s from western Sydney died at Westmead Hospital. The man was a resident of the Uniting Lilian Wells aged care facility in North Parramatta, where he acquired his infection. ... This is the first known death in NSW linked to the Omicron variant of concern," New South Wales Health said on Twitter on Monday.
According to the health department, the man had been vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions.
New South Wales reported a total of three deaths from COVID-19 on Monday. The state has a very high vaccination rate: over 90 percent of its residents aged 16 and up have received two shots of a coronavirus vaccine.
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