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Updated December 7th, 2021 at 12:25 IST

As Omicron strain dominates new cases in South Africa, Prez Ramaphosa urges vaccination

On Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa advised citizens to get vaccinated in order to prevent an unprecedented outbreak of Omicron.

Reported by: Rohit Ranjan
Omicron
Image: AP | Image:self
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On Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa advised citizens to get vaccinated in order to prevent an unprecedented outbreak of Omicron variant, according to the official website of the Presidency of South Africa. In one week, the number of daily infections surged fivefold, from 2,828 on November 26th to 16,055 on Friday.

The South African President said that Omicron is dominating the new cases in the country, after being discovered by South African investigators 10 days ago. He urged the South African citizens to seek vaccinations as soon as possible, according to a newsletter published in the Presidency of South Africa. He also stated that vaccination is the most efficient way to prevent the spread of new illnesses, and vaccines lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalisation, and death.

South Africa now has an adequate vaccine supply

He also claims that South Africa now has an adequate vaccine supply, and vaccine booths have been established in every province. The President also stated that vaccination is critical for economic recovery because as more individuals are vaccinated, more economic opportunities will open up and they can work and socialise with fewer constraints, according to the newsletter. He further stated that as individuals, people must carefully weigh the risks of being unvaccinated, as well as the risk of transferring the sickness to children.

Scientists are keeping a close eye on emerging variants to see if they are more contagious or harmful, or if they can be avoided with existing vaccines. In South Africa, 14.8 million people, or nearly a quarter of the population, have been fully vaccinated. The vaccine is available in South Africa to children as young as 12 years old, according to the newsletter. The government has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of the population by the end of the year, using enough doses provided by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. Ramaphosa also criticised other countries for imposing travel restrictions on South Africa by stating that it hurt the region's economy, which relies on tourism.

Japanese support travel restrictions

According to Bernama, on the other hand in Japan, 89% of Japanese support the government's decision to restrict the issue of business and student visas to foreign individuals since the arrival of the Omicron variant. To combat the spread of the Omicron variant, the country's authorities announced the temporary suspension of long- and short-term visas for foreign nationals at the beginning of December.

Image: AP

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Published December 7th, 2021 at 12:25 IST

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