The new regulations follow data showing that while the Omicron variant is highly transmissible, it has not caused high rates of severe disease in South Africa.
Author: Lynsey Chutel
South Africa Hospitalizations Lower in Omicron Wave, but Caveats Apply
Researchers warned that the epicenter of the country’s outbreak is more highly vaccinated than others, and that natural immunity is also high.
Jacob Zuma Must Return to Prison, South Africa Judge Rules
The former president had been granted medical parole two months into a 15-month prison sentence on contempt charges linked to a corruption inquiry.
Illnesses Tied to Omicron May Be Milder, Preliminary Study Suggests
The findings, which also show that the new variant partly dodges the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, are based on only three weeks of data. Epidemiologists cautioned that the full picture is still emerging.
Omicron May Cause Fewer Hospitalizations Than Previous Variants, Early Study Shows
The findings, which also show that the new variant decreases the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine, are based on only three weeks of data, and epidemiologists have cautioned that more data is needed.
South Africa’s president tests positive for the coronavirus.
The 69-year-old leader was displaying mild Covid-19 symptoms. New cases in the country are rising quickly.
Coronavirus Cases Are Rising Among Children in South African Hospitals
The increase, observed in children’s wards at two major hospitals in South Africa, points to increased community transmission, doctors say.
Botswana’s President Says Diplomats With Omicron ‘Had Been to Europe’
Botswana and South Africa were the first countries to identify cases involving the Omicron variant, and an official in Botswana asserted that most of the initial 19 were “imported.”
Reinfections appear more common with Omicron, South African scientists say.
The scientists cautioned that much about the variant remains unknown, but as Omicron drives a surge of new cases in South Africa, they are gaining more insight into it.