South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Saturday 26 November 2021

We’ve got the latest news stories and headlines in South Africa on Saturday 26 November 2021.

After news broke earlier this week that a new variant has been detected in the country, we are expecting a family meeting. Will we face a stricter Covid-19 lockdown and bans on alcohol during the festive season? The National Coronavirus Command Council is expected to meet this weekend to finalise our next step in fighting the pandemic.

Meanwhile, more countries have restricted travel from South Africa on Friday, citing the threat of the new variant. This variant, first dubbed B.1.1.529 and now named Omicron, has spread across the country, with 22 cases confirmed. The WHO on Friday assigned the Greek letter Omicron to the variant.

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Saturday 26 November 2021

NCCC meeting this weekend: Will SA go into stricter lockdown?

The question of whether South Africa will face a stricter Covid-19 lockdown, with bans on alcohol during the festive season, remains to be seen as the NCCC gears up to meet this weekend.

But a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on Sunday 28 November to assess Covid-19 pandemic “developments” does not sound like good news lies ahead.

Minister in the presidency, Mondli Gungubele, confirmed on Friday that President Cyril Ramaphosa will convene an NCCC meeting to “assess developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, including scientific updates around the newly detected coronavirus variant”.

“Government urges South Africans to remain vigilant against Covid-19 and play their part in protecting themselves and the broader community by having themselves vaccinated, while scientists investigate a newly identified coronavirus variant, B.1.1.529,” Gungubele said.

MORE countries BAN South Africans amid new variant – here is the list

More countries restricted travel from South Africa and some neighboring countries on Friday, citing the threat of the new variant B.1.1.529.

Since the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the new variant has been detected in South Africa, with 22 cases found so far, countries have been closing their borders one after the other.

The United Kingdom was the first to react, announcing that South African travellers would be denied entry from midday Friday. Thirteen other countries followed.

COVID-19 latest: SA reports 2 828 new confirmed cases

South Africa recorded 2 828 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has said on Friday. 

This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 955 328. 

The increase of 2 828 new COVID-19 cases represents a 9.1% positivity rate. 

A further 12 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 89 783 to date.

NICD: Vaccines likely to still offer protection against B.1.1.529 variant

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said based on their understanding of the mutations in the B.1.1.529 lineage, partial immune escape is likely, but it is likely that vaccines will still offer high levels of protection against hospitalisation and death.

“SARS-CoV-2, like all viruses, changes with time, with mutations that afford the virus some kind of advantage being selected for in recent infections. 

“While some of the mutations in the B.1.1.529 lineage have arisen in other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern or variants of interest, we are being cautious about the implications while we gather more data to understand this lineage,” it said.

The NICD said work was already underway to look at the immune escape potential of B.1.1.529 in the laboratory setting. 

“We are also establishing a real-time system to monitor hospitalisation and outcome associated with B.1.1.529. We expect new variants to continue to emerge wherever the virus is spreading.” 

The NICD stressed that vaccination remains critical to protecting those in communities at high risk of hospitalisation and death, to reduce strain on the health system, and to help slow transmission.

UK bans travel from SA: ‘Seems to have been rushed,’ says Naledi Pandor

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (CIRCO) has responded to the United Kingdom’s decision to place the country back on its travel red list, citing the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant in the country.

Well, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) is not pleased with the UK’s move and says it will continue engaging its government to try and convince them to reconsider.

“Our immediate concern is the damage that this decision will cause to both the tourism industries and businesses of both countries,” says Pandor.

DIRCO takes issue with the decision, particularly because the World Health Organisation (WHO) is yet to announce a way forward.

“Whilst South Africa respects the right of all countries to take the necessary precautionary measures to protect their citizens, the UK’s decision to temporarily ban South Africans  from entering the UK seems to have been rushed as even the World Health Organisation is yet to advise on the next steps”

DIRCO

B.1.1.529 latest: Where are the ‘new variant hotspots’ of South Africa?

The Department of Health has warned that the so-called “super variant” of COVID-19 which has been detected in South Africa will likely be the driving force behind the spike in COVID-19 infections over the coming weeks – but which areas have been identified as hotspots in the country?

For now, research into the new B.1.1.529 variant is still being conducted by scientists, including UK health authorities after recently announcing that South Africa and surrounding countries have been placed on its infamous travel red list.

The UK hasn’t detected the new variant on its shores yet, but it has been picked up in Botswana and Hong Kong.

With Gauteng emerging as the epicentre of the fourth wave of COVID-19 cases once again, it’s no surprise that the province has recorded the most number of infections from the B.1.1.529 variant.

While Johannesburg and Tshwane were both considered hotspots for the previous waves, for now focus is on the capital. Areas such as Pretoria West, Atteridgeville, Centurion, Hatfield, and Soshanguve identified as a cause for concern.

But it’s not just Gauteng – according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the North West and Limpopo are also seeing an increase in cases of the new variant. The NICD’s Dr Michelle Groome says that provincial health authorities remain on high alert and are prioritising the sequencing of COVID-19 positive samples.

Hail, damaging winds and thunderstorms to hit parts of SA this weekend

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning for hail, damaging winds, heavy downpours, and thunderstorms this weekend in parts of South Africa.

A yellow level 2 warning has been issued for showers and thunderstorms, with the possibility of heavy downpours, hail, damaging winds, and excessive lighting in parts of Eastern Cape from Friday going into Saturday and Sunday morning.

Thunderstorms are also expected for the Western Cape, Free State, and Northern Cape from Friday until Sunday.

The SAWS warned that localised damages to infrastructure, settlements, property, vehicles, and livestock are some of the impacts the weather conditions may bring.

It added that localised flash flooding of susceptible roads and low-lying areas could also occur. 

LATEST NEWS: WEATHER FORECAST, Saturday 26 November

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HOROSCOPE TODAY

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