'Lockdown' or 'go with the flow': Tamworth divided on Omicron variant

Omicron was last week declared a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organisation, after it was first reported in South Africa days earlier.

Preliminary evidence suggests the variant spreads quickly compared with other forms of COVID-19, according to the World Health Organisation.

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The variant is already in Australia, with cases reported in the Central Coast and Sydney.

The Leader took to Peel Street to find out whether Tamworth was worried about the new variant.

Tamworth nurse Lynette O'Neill said she wants the government to lock the state down in the face

"It seems like there's always going to be something else coming, I don't think we'll ever get rid of it, it'll be here all the time I think," she said.

"I think they should lock us down again, try to keep it at bay. We were safer when we were locked down."

Luke Oliver said the new variant wasn't as bad as Delta.

"I'm not too stressed, its like the runt of the litter of viruses," he said.

Vikki Hollis, who lives out of town, said she'd been frightened of the virus when it first emerged but she was just over the pandemic.

"You just learn to live with it, and get over it," she said.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he is "not keen to see a return of lockdowns" in response to the spread of Omicron this week.

Preliminary evidence indicates that Omicron may only lead to mild symptoms among most people who contract it, according to the Commonwealth department of health.

Most health authorities have stressed it is too early to know much for sure about Omicron, but the World Health Organisation hopes to provide more information in the "coming days and weeks".

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