S. African President Warns of Fourth Wave of Corona as Omicron Spreads to All Provinces

GG News Bureau

Johannesburg, 29^th Nov. With the Omicron variant spreading across all of South Africa’s provinces, President Cyril Ramaphosa has raised the possibility that the country could enter a fourth wave soon if new cases continue to rise.

“The identification of Omicron coincides with a sudden increase in COVID-19 infections. If cases continue to rise, we can expect to see a fourth wave of infection in the next few weeks, if not sooner”, Ramaphosa said in his speech on tv on Sunday night.

The President said, we have seen an average of 1,600 new cases in the last seven days, whereas in the last week only 500 new daily cases were reported. The number of positive corona cases has increased.

“We know that the new variant is responsible for most of the infections detected in Gauteng over the past two weeks and is now rapidly emerging in all other provinces,” he added.

He said the government has constituted a working group that will consult widely on the introduction of compulsory vaccination in certain activities and places.

The task force will report to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Immunization, chaired by Vice President David Mabuza, which will make recommendations to the cabinet.

He said the first and most powerful tool people have is vaccination.

He said, vaccination is the most important way to protect yourself and those around you from Omicron variants, reduce the effects of the fourth wave, and help restore social freedom.

Vaccination is also vital to the return of our economy to full operation, to the resumption of travel and to the recovery of vulnerable sectors like tourism and hospitality.

Ramaphosa said that the coronavirus, like all viruses, mutates and forms new forms. The likelihood of the emergence of more severe forms of variants is increased significantly where people are not vaccinated.

He said, “That is why we have joined many countries, organizations and people around the world who have been fighting for equal access to vaccines for everyone.”