Scientists and health authorities in this country were the first to alert the world about the detection of omicron.
The Government of South Africa affirmed today that “all indicators” point to the fact that the country “may have left behind” the peak of its wave of infections of the omicron variant and announced that it will eliminate the curfew for the first time since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic.
“The Ministry of Health has registered a 29.7% decrease in the number of new cases (of covid-19) detected in the week that ended on December 25 (compared to the previous one),” highlighted the portfolio of the Presidency in a statement, issued this Thursday after a meeting of the Government Cabinet.
Contagion records, but with fewer deaths is the balance left so far by the omicron variant
According to the South African Executive, “all the indicators suggest that the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at the national level” and, for this reason, it was decided to relax the few restrictions that remained in place in the country.
“Although the omicron variant is highly transmissible, there have been lower rates of hospitalization than in previous waves,” the Executive also highlighted.
South Africa, in fact, did not see the need to tighten its restrictions at any time during this fourth great wave of infections, despite the record levels of infections, since, at a health level, the situation generated by the omicron variant did not imply an excessive gravity.
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The elimination of the curfew, which had been in force without interruption with different formulas since March 2020 and which currently prohibited transit only between midnight and 4 hours (2 GMT), was a highly demanded measure at the gates of the celebrations of the new year.
The capacity was also expanded and the last limitations on alcohol sales hours were lifted.
Yes, other measures will be maintained, such as the general obligation to wear masks.
With just over 3.4 million accumulated cases and some 91,000 deaths, South Africa is the epicenter of the covid-19 pandemic on the African continent.
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The vaccination rate is still low and only about 27% of the population has the full schedule.
Scientists and health authorities in this country were the first to alert the world about the detection of omicron at the end of last November.
In a few days, the new variant became dominant in the southern nation and generated a rapid wave of new infections.
But unlike other areas of the world, when South Africa started its omicron wave, it hardly had cases of the delta variant, responsible for the previous curve. (I)
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