A new Omicron subvariant has been detected in New Zealand for the first time in a person returning from overseas.
The infected person is confirmed to have the BA.5 variant and arrived in Aotearoa from South Africa on April 26. They returned a positive rapid antigen test (RAT) result on May 1 and a positive PCR sample on May 2. Whole genome sequencing was undertaken as part of ongoing border surveillance for emerging variants and subsequently confirmed the BA.5 subvariant, the Ministry of Health said.
The person followed all testing and reporting requirements and has now completed their isolation at home.
This followed the detection of BA.4 on May 1 also in a person who had travelled from South Africa.
What we know about BA.5
Both BA.4 and BA.5 were first found in South Africa in January and have since spread to the United States, the United Kingdom, and other European countries. They have also been discovered closer to home in Australia.
The majority of cases for both of these two subvariants are in South Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Ministry of Health said in its Sunday COVID-19 update that BA.5's arrival in New Zealand wasn't unexpected.
"[Its arrival] underlines the importance of the rapid antigen testing of all arrivals at day 0/1 and day 5/6 followed by a PCR test of any arrivals who test positive which then allows whole genome sequencing to be done," they said.
"At this stage, the public health settings already in place to manage other Omicron variants are assessed to be appropriate for managing both BA.4 and BA.5 and no changes are required."
The WHO is monitoring both BA.4 and BA.5, and in an update on May 4 said that vaccinations and public health measures remain the best way to protect people from these subvariants.
The Ministry of Health added that it can take weeks or months to assess the severity of each new variant or subvariant, so it will continue to monitor the emerging evidence closely.
Meanwhile, there was a drop in cases on Sunday, with MoH reporting 5647 new infections and 350 people in hospital. Three new deaths were also reported.
