XBB.1.16 was first detected in NSW in February this year, with infections slowly rising.
ABC Pacific reports the World Health Organization (WHO) assessed this strain as "low risk" on a global scale, compared with others currently in circulation.
However, the strain was designated a variant of interest by WHO earlier this month, as cases surged in India.
WHO did say it was a strain to watch, designating XBB.1.16 as a variant of interest on April 17.
What is the new variant?
