On Monday, over 13 000 new positive cases of Covid-19 were recorded as the positivity rate went past 30% and another 11 people died as a result of coronavirus complications.
While Gauteng continues to be the epicentre of the fourth wave, the Western Cape confirmed yesterday that it too had entered the fourth wave.
Gauteng Premier Oscar Mabuyane said he was concerned because the vast majority of those in the province’s hospitals were aged between 20 to 49, which accounts for around 41.8% of those in hospital.
Mabuyane blamed the flouting of level one restrictions and a desire to attend events that attract large gatherings as a reason for the spread of the virus.
But what the evidence does show is that fewer of those hospitalised require oxygen this time around as Netcare CEO, Dr Richard Friedland, told BizNews in an interview. Gift of the Givers founder, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said his organisation had received almost no requests for emergency oxygen compared with an overflow of requests during the third wave.
According to Discovery Health CEO, Ryan Noach, Pfizer’s two-shot vaccine provided 70% protection against being hospitalised by the Omicron variant while it provided 33% protection from being infected by the variant in the first place.
Still, Sydney Majoko writes that despite multiple explanations about how vaccinations work, anti-vaxxers will scream about still getting infected even while being vaccinated until they’re blue in the face (Subscribe to read).
There is still cause for concern, however, Bloomberg reports that 72% of the Gauteng population had a previous infection with coronavirus thus masking the true severity of the Omicron variant.
The National Coronavirus Command Council will meet today with Deputy President David Mabuza as President Cyril Ramaphosa continues to self-isolate in Cape Town after he tested positive for Covid-19 when he complained of illness after he left former apartheid president FW de Klerk’s memorial on Sunday.
Many expect new restrictions to be implemented after the meeting today but as we wrote yesterday, sectors like the hospitality and restaurant one have pleaded with government not to introduce severe restrictions that would further hurt the industry.
Meanwhile, the UK is set to announce today the removal of all 11 countries from its so-called Covid-19 red list, ending mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers arriving from what they deem the riskiest countries, and Canada ‘just slightly’ making it easier for its citizens to travel to our country, Qatar Airways quietly reintroduced its omicron ban on South Africans. The uncertainty doesn’t bode well for our hospitality sector which already lost more than R1bn in travel bookings between December and March as a result of the omicron travel bans.
Amid eroding confidence, the already hard-hit tourism and hospitality sector is facing a gloomy holiday season as its pleas for no more harder lockdowns to save businesses and jobs will evidently have to fall on deaf ears.
Whatever your plans this festive season, stay safe, get vaccinated and adhere to the restrictions put in place.
Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions, analyses, and editorials:
- JP Landman | Ending load shedding could happen sooner than you think – but it won’t be easy – Fin24
- EDITORIAL: Omicron and the grim repo: did Bank jump the gun? – Business Day (Subscribe to read)
- What South Africa needs to do to exit the pandemic state of disaster – Financial Mail
- EDITORIAL | If we ignore truck drivers’ issues, our economy will suffer – Sunday Times Daily (Subscribe to read)
- Blow up the outside world – New Frame
- Ralph Mathekga | Lessons for the ANC from its expropriation without compensation defeat – News24 (Subscribe to read)
- The SAPS is a national emergency — eyes cannot be wide shut any more – Daily Maverick
