South Africa enters tougher restrictions after COVID-19 surge

A general view during the country’s first human clinical trial for a potential COVID-19 vaccine in Soweto, South Africa. Felix Dlangamandla/Beeld/Gallo Images via Getty Images

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended coronavirus restrictions in the country Monday, citing a “massive increase” in Covid-19 cases driven by a variant discovered there last year.

The number of new infections, the number of hospital admissions, and the deaths that continue to take place come far higher than it has ever been since the first case was recorded in our country in March of 2020,” Ramaphosa said in a live national address.

Ramaphosa said that the speed and intensity of the second wave in South Africa is due to the 501. v2 variant discovered by genomic scientists late last year.

This explains that many more people have become infected in a far shorter space of time,” he said, adding that there was no evidence that the new strain caused people to get sicker.

Ramaphosa said the restrictions will be reassessed when the current peak of infections eases.

South Africa has reported at least 1,246,643 Covid-19 cases, including 33,579 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.