New contaminations fell almost 30% last week, compared to the previous week, as well as hospital admissions.
South Africa, where the new covid-19 variant was detected last month, announced that surpassed the peak of the omicron wave, with only a “marginal” increase in deaths, while many countries experience record infections.
“According to our experts, ómicron reached its peak without causing a significant or alarming change in the number of hospitalizations,” said Minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele on Friday, assuring that the government would remain vigilant before any contrary evolution.
The night curfew, in force for exactly 21 months, had been reduced to hours between midnight and 4 in the morning. On the eve of the New Year’s celebrations, he finally got up.
“Our hope is that this uprising will continue,” said the minister in a virtual press conference.
“We are trying to find a balance between people’s lives, their livelihoods and the life saving goal”, He indicated, recalling that the South African economy is still seriously affected by the pandemic.
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Maintaining the use of the mask, distancing and accelerating vaccination – which continues to be below the objectives, with only 15.6 million people fully vaccinated out of a population of 59 million – the minister hopes that “the curfew will never return.”
On Thursday night, the presidency announced that “all indicators suggest that the country probably passed the peak of the fourth wave”Of the pandemic, with only a“ marginal increase in the number of deaths ”.
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New infections, hospitalizations and deaths will continue to be “followed hour by hour and if we observe a difference” in the evolution, “we will act immediately”, the minister insisted on Friday.
Omicron speed
The new contaminations decreased almost 30% last week (89,781), compared to the previous week (127,753), while hospital admissions decreased in eight of the nine provinces.
“Although the omicron variant is highly transmissible, hospitalization rates have been lower than in previous waves”, Highlighted the presidency.
Alert and prudence for omicron variant
Ómicron, which has a high number of mutations and significant resistance to vaccines, was first identified in Botswana and South Africa in late November.
It quickly became dominant in South Africa, causing an exponential increase in the number of cases to more than 26,000 daily contaminations in mid-December, according to official statistics.
Extremely contagious, it affects both vaccinated people and those who have already been infected by the virus.
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South Africa is the most affected African country, with more than 3.4 million cases and 91,000 deaths. On the last 24 hours have been detected less than 13,000 cases.
“The speed at which the fourth wave increased due to omicron, reached a peak and then declined, it was amazing. A peak in four weeks and a precipitous decline in two weeks, ”tweeted Fared Abdulá of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).
While many countries affected by omicron announce a tightening of sanitary restrictions, and record cases of new infections per day, the South African government lifted the curfew and night establishments can resume normal operation.
However, wearing the mask is still mandatory in public spaces and concentrations are still limited to a maximum of 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 outdoors. (I)
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