THERE were two new COVID-19 cases recorded locally on Sunday, November 28, which brings the total number of cases to 36 from the country music event at the Hamilton Golf Club on Sunday November 14.

The two new cases are household contacts of a positive case who attended the event - the WDHS Hospital in the Home program is currently monitoring 30 local cases.

Also, two Australian travellers who returned from Southern Africa to Sydney on November 27 are the first confirmed cases of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant in the nation.

The two positive jetsetters, who are both vaccinated but asymptomatic, are currently completing 14 days isolation in Special Health Accommodation in Sydney.

New South Wales health authorities are investigating whether two other COVID-19 positive travellers who returned to Sydney on Sunday, November 28, also have the Omicron variant.

Meanwhile, Victorian health authorities are investigating if the Omicron variant has entered Victoria through a traveller visiting the state before returning to New South Wales.

The Omicron variant has been labelled a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its 30-plus mutations that can impact how easily it spreads and increase the severity of the illness.

It is currently unknown how dangerous the Omicron variant is, with health authorities in Southern Africa still completing investigations into its transmission and symptoms.

The variant was first detected in the Southern African countries of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique.

The Federal Government has now implemented travel bans to help prevent the spread of Omicron, including a mandatory 14-day isolation period for all Australian’s returning from any of the nine countries listed above.

Anyone who is not an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or their immediate family, who has been in any of the nine African countries that have Omicron within the past 14 days cannot enter Australia.

All flights from the nine countries of concern to Australia have also been suspended for 14 days.

The government said these actions are preventative and are consistent with those considered by other countries.

Health minister, Greg Hunt said in a press conference yesterday that the national vaccination advisory body, Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, will reassess the booster shot time frame and that the government will continue to monitor the situation.

“We will not hesitate to take additional steps if the medical evidence is that more are required," he said.

“In terms of the travel restrictions, we take the medical advice, and we act on it.

“If further actions are required, further actions will be taken.”

Victoria has recorded 1007 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases in the state to 11,501.

90 per cent of Victorians aged 12 or older have now received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

There were two new COVID-19 cases recorded locally on Sunday, November 28, which brings the total number of cases from the country music event at the Hamilton Golf Club on Sunday November 14, to 36.

The two new cases are household contacts of a positive case who attended the event.

The WDHS Hospital in the Home program is currently monitoring 30 local cases.

The drive-thru testing clinic has returned to the Hamilton base Hospital, operating from 10am-12pm.