Covid-19: Omicron sub-variant BA.2 accounts for about a third of sequenced cases in NZ

A sub-variant of Omicron which began spreading rapidly in New Zealand after the ill-fated Soundsplash music festival now accounts for roughly a third of all sequenced Omicron cases. Experts say there's no reason to have a heightened fear of the spread of BA.2 – a sub-variant of the dominant BA.1 (Omicron), which was first found in southern Africa in late 2021. From January 1 to February 14, ESR's whole genome sequencing identified 346 cases of BA.2 – roughly a third of the 1316 Omicron cases sequenced over the six-week period. There were also 435 cases of Delta, the more severe of the three.