'Omicron First Report' South Africa Sees Over 6x Increase in New Cases in One Week

On the 27th of last month (local time), citizens were strolling at an outdoor shopping mall in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa. (Pretoria=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As the new COVID-19 variant Omicron rapidly spreads, the number of new confirmed cases in South Africa has surged more than sixfold in the past week.

On the 3rd (local time), South African health authorities reported 16,055 new COVID-19 cases in a single day. This is nearly a 40% increase compared to the previous day (11,535 cases).

Compared to November 25th last month (2,465 cases), when the presence of the Omicron variant was first announced in South Africa, the daily new confirmed cases have increased about 6.5 times in just about a week. South African health authorities estimate that approximately 75 to 80% of the new confirmed cases are infections of the Omicron variant.

Currently, South Africa is maintaining Level 1, the lowest of the five lockdown stages. Level 1 corresponds to a phased return to normal life (With Corona), except for some restrictions such as curfew after midnight.

Joe Phaahla, South Africa's Minister of Health, said, "We need to monitor the situation for a week and see what measures to take," adding, "We will consider whether to raise the lockdown level based on two variables: whether there is a surge in patients and whether there is a shortage of medical facilities." He also urged, "At this stage, please comply with mask-wearing and avoid large gatherings such as year-end parties and birthday parties."

Instead, the South African government plans to accelerate vaccination efforts. Considering the rapid increase in new cases mainly among young unvaccinated people at the early stage of the Omicron variant outbreak, they are encouraging vaccination by providing conveniences such as operating free public buses to vaccination centers. This is interpreted as a choice based on the judgment that raising the lockdown level would cause serious damage, given the significant role tourism plays in South Africa's economy. So far, the vaccination completion rate among South African adults is 37%.

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