South Africa says Omicron wave may have peaked, lifts curfew
Johannesburg, December 31
South Africa has lifted overnight curfew rules that were first imposed nearly two years ago, with officials saying the country may have passed the peak of its fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, offering hope to other nations facing a surge in cases fuelled by the fast-moving Omicron variant.
The decision announced by the Presidency on Thursday followed meetings of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC), which received updates on the management of the current fourth wave of Covid-19 in South Africa.
The wave is currently being driven by the Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa last month. “The curfew will be lifted. There will therefore be no restrictions on the hours of movement of people,” the Presidency said in a statement. “All indicators suggest the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level,” the statement said, adding cases had declined in all but two of the country’s nine provinces over the past week.
For the week ending December 25, the number of confirmed infections stood at 89,781 — down from 1,27,753 the week before. South Africa has recorded almost 3.5 million Covid-19 cases and more than 90,000 deaths. — PTI
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