Covid news live: Africa sees cases ‘drop significantly’; experts say Australia’s Omicron wave ‘likely’ peaked

Scientists say Australia’s hardest-hit states are ‘probably through the worst’ as cases are ‘levelling off’; Covid cases have sharply declined in Africa for the first time since discovery of Omicron, WHO says

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Cases of Covid have sharply declined in Africa and deaths are declining for the first time since the emergence of the Omicron variant, the World Health Organization has said.

The UN health agency’s regional office for Africa said newly reported cases fell 20% in the week to Sunday while notified deaths dropped 8%.