Ramaphosa Warns of Fourth Wave

By: Zilungile Mkhize

President Cyril Ramaphosa says if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country, the fourth wave can be expected within the next few weeks.

He addressed the nation on Sunday evening, saying the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has decided to keep the country on lockdown alert level one for now, and the national state of disaster to remain in place.

Ramaphosa says the new Omicron variant that has entered South Africa is responsible for most of the infections found in Gauteng over the last two weeks. He says it is already showing up in all other provinces.

His comments come as the world is in a race against time to understand this variant and potentially combat it.

Ramaphosa says people need to increase their efforts to keep safe by social distancing, wearing a mask and continuously washing their hands.

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Meanwhile, G7 health ministers from the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, will hold an urgent meeting today to discuss the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

Ten countries in southern Africa including South Africa are now on the UK’s travel red list.

Omicron has now also been detected in a number of other countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Hong Kong, and Israel.

The UK which holds the G7 presidency says the developments around this variant must be urgently discussed.