Covid 19: Gauteng Officially Hit With 4th Wave of the Virus, 80% Of New Cases in Province
- Gauteng has officially entered the fourth wave of Covid 19 infections as new cases soar
- 80% of all new cases are being reported in the province as the new Omicron variant spreads like wildfire
- The country has been preparing for a new variant and hospital beds and oxygen have been prepared
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JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng is firmly in the grip of Covid 19 and according to reports, 80% of new cases have been recorded in the province.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed that the province had entered the fourth wave of the virus.
Dr Joe Phaahla and Dr Sibongiseni shared the government's plans for the new variant and the fourth wave of the virus.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim revealed what scientists have discovered about the new Omicron variant according to the Daily Sun..
Source: UGC
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He said that the country had been preparing for the emergence of a new variant since September.
The new variant is presented in younger age groups and its infectious nature is driving up the number of cases.
There are 4 407 beds available in the Gauteng Health Department that have been reserved for Covid 19 cases and a large stockpile of oxygen has been secured according to the Sowetan LIVE
Omicron: Everything we know about new Covid 19 variant causing fresh panic
Earlier, Briefly News reported that Omicron, also identified as B.1.1.529, is a new variant of COVID-19 that has been declared a Variant of Concern (VOC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
A VOC is a strain with new characteristics that can pose a danger to the community and present new challenges to scientists and medical experts.
The first case of Omicron was reported in South Africa on November 24, and since then, the strain has become a matter of global concern.
On November 26, two days after the first case was reported to WHO, the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) met and assessed mutations and behaviour of the Omicron variant.
Lindiwe Zulu tests positive for Covid-19
In other news, Briefly News reported that Lindiwe Zulu, the Minister of Social Development, has announced that she has tested positive for Covid-19. She went for a viral swab test on Sunday (28 Nov) after she started experiencing a sore throat.
Zulu says she does not feel that her health is badly affected by the virus, which she attributes to being fully vaccinated. She is self-isolating and will work from home.
The minister used the opportunity to encourage her fellow South Africans to get vaccinated so that the fourth wave is not as severe as the previous three, TimesLIVE reports.
Source: Briefly News
