South Africa announces a second COVID wave as cases spike up
South Africa government just declared a second wave of coronavirus as the number of cases surge.
The country registered a record 6,709 infections on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 828,598, with 22,574 deaths.
South Africa is the country hardest hit by COVID-19 on the continent earlier this year.
The health minister Zweli Mkhize said in a statement he expected faster-rising numbers with a higher peak than in the first wave.
The wave is being driven by the provinces of Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the economic hub Gauteng, Mkhize said.
The latest surge comes as millions prepare to travel to their home towns during the Christmas season
South Africa introduced one of the world’s most stringent lockdowns in March during the first wave but progressively eased measures as cases dropped.
The National Coronavirus Command Council and cabinet will consider what new measures may need to be taken to curb the surge in infections, Mkhize said. The government’s main focus is finding ways to encourage more responsible behavior, including wearing face masks and socially distancing, he said.
Just last week President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new restrictions such as a curfew and a ban on alcohol sales.
The age distribution of new cases in the past two days shows a different pattern to previous trends, with the peak in the current period in the 15-19-year-old group, the ministry said.
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