South Africa prepares for fourth wave of COVID 19 cases

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South Africa prepares for fourth wave of COVID 19 cases

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is wearing a face mask as he looks on during a visit to the port of Ivory Coast Prime Minister Patrick Achi on December 3, 2021, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. JOHANNESBURG, December 6, Reuters -- South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions as the Omicron coronaviruses variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID 19 cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.

Omicron was first detected in southern Africa last month and has caused a global alarm as governments fear another surge in infections. South Africa's daily infections went up last week to more than 16,000 on Friday from around 2,300 on Monday.

South Africa now has enough vaccine supplies, so he said that as more people are vaccinated more areas of economic activity will be opened up.

The government would convene the National Coronavirus Command Council to review the state of the epidemic and decide whether further measures are needed to keep people safe, Ramaphosa said.

Scientists in South Africa and other countries are trying to establish whether Omicron is more contagious, causes more severe disease and is more resistant to existing vaccines.

Some anecdotal accounts from doctors and experts in South Africa are reassuring, suggesting that many of the infections it causes are mild. Ramaphosa said that they are keeping a close eye on the rates of infection and hospitalisation.