"Please Follow Government Quarantine Measures"… South African President Appeals Tearfully

South Africa Surpasses 1 Million Cumulative COVID-19 Cases
Positive Rate Exceeds 30% After Testing... Actual Number Likely Higher
Variant Confirmed in South Africa Shows 'Very Strong' Infectivity

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] South Africa, where a variant of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has been confirmed, announced restrictive measures such as mandatory mask-wearing in public places and bans on public gatherings and alcohol sales. The cumulative number of confirmed cases has exceeded 1 million, and with a positive rate of over 30% in tests, the spread is expected to continue.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

On the 28th (local time), South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced emergency measures related to COVID-19 in a national address. President Ramaphosa said South Africa is experiencing "the worst crisis in Africa at an unprecedented speed" due to this second wave. At the end of his speech, he even shed tears, pleading, "I urge everyone to follow the new measures."

According to the global statistics site Worldometer, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 1,011,871. After daily confirmed cases reached the 10,000 range in July this year, the number has recently surged again to the 10,000 range. What is more concerning is that the positive rate in COVID-19 tests is about 3 out of 10. This indicates that many confirmed cases are not captured in official statistics. In particular, the Cape Town area has recorded a positive rate of 50%.

The rapid spread in South Africa is largely influenced by the variant COVID-19. The South African government has stated that there is no evidence that the variant COVID-19 confirmed in South Africa is more dangerous than the variant confirmed in the UK. However, researchers have judged that the variant COVID-19 identified in South Africa is highly contagious.

Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), explained, "We consider this variant to be highly transmissible," adding, "The variant COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, and most infections are progressing due to changes in the variant COVID-19. This is an unusual situation."

The situation is more severe than during the first wave. The number of patients in hospitals has already surpassed that of the first wave. President Ramaphosa explained that COVID-19 is already in a pandemic state in major South African cities. Among medical staff, 4,630 have been infected just this month.

There are concerns about a potential collapse of the healthcare system in South Africa. Major hospitals are reportedly approaching their limits, especially in intensive care units.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.