Hospitalisations

The findings, which estimated Omicron’s severity after accounting for the impact of vaccines, should reinforce the importance of inoculations and booster shots, experts say.

Daily infections have multiplied 13 times over the past two weeks, from about 100 cases at the start of February to over 1,300 on Feb 13, with authorities scrambling to control the deepening outbreak.

Fuelled by the Omicron strain, Australia's total infections have now touched nearly 2.4 million, almost 10% of the country's population, with about 2.2 million in the last two months alone.

The government is considering phasing out England’s remaining pandemic restrictions, including working from home guidance and the use of vaccine passports, according to local media.

The surge in cases fuelled by the Omicron variant has piled pressure on hospitals, which are grappling with record admissions, and on other sectors of the economy.

Federal health officials have warned even a large number of mild cases could put pressure on the health system.

The rolling seven-day average number of new Covid-19 cases in the US hit 540,000, a new high for an eighth consecutive day.

The preliminary studies were cautiously welcomed by experts, who nonetheless stressed that any advantage in milder outcomes could still be negated by the new strain's heightened infectiousness.

Australia is grappling with the more transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus as restrictions ease ahead of the Christmas holidays after higher vaccination levels were reached.