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South Africa repeals COVID rules as fifth wave fades

South Africa repeals COVID rules as fifth wave fades

ALEXANDER WINNING and ANAIT MIRIDZHANIAN SOUTH AFRICA has repealed COVID-19 rules that made masks mandatory in indoor public spaces, limited the size of gatherings and imposed entry requirements at its borders, the health minister said on Thursday. South Africa has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent, with over 3.9 million confirmed infections and more than 101,000 deaths. Minister Joe Phaahla said authorities had noted a decline in cases, hospitalisations and reported deaths and concluded that a limited fifth wave was dissipating. "The COVID-19 virus is not yet gone, ... we are just stronger than before…
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South Africa says it may be entering fifth COVID wave

South Africa says it may be entering fifth COVID wave

ALEXANDER WINNING and WENDELL ROELF SOUTH AFRICA may be entering a fifth COVID wave earlier than expected after a sustained rise in infections over the past 14 days that seems to be driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants, health officials and scientists said on Friday. The country that has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent only exited a fourth wave around January and had predicted a fifth wave could start in May or June, early in the southern hemisphere winter. Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a briefing that although hospitalisations were picking up…
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South African health minister says C.1.2 variant not a threat for now

South African health minister says C.1.2 variant not a threat for now

SOUTH Africa's Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Friday that scientists had told the government that at this stage the C.1.2 coronavirus variant detected locally was not a threat. The C.1.2 variant was first identified in May and has now been seen in all of the country's nine provinces. Health Minister Joe Phaahla It contains some mutations associated in other variants with increased transmissibility and reduced sensitivity to neutralising antibodies, leading researchers to flag its detection to the government and the World Health Organization (WHO). "At this stage, they (scientists) have assured us it's not really a threat, they are…
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