Health

South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave

South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.

Ramaphosa said in a weekly newsletter that Omicron appeared to be dominating new infections in most provinces and urged more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

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“We will soon be convening a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council to review the state of the pandemic. This will enable us to take whatever further measures are needed to keep people safe and healthy,” he added.

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