COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa

German interim government will introduce harsh measures for unvaccinated people in order to curb COVID-19 and alleviate the pressure on hospitals due to a new variant of the virus - omicron variant.
On Thursday, German regional prime ministers agreed with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel to impose strict restrictions on those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa, conveyed to WHO representatives his concerns regarding COVID variant B.1.1.529, which is feared to be the worst variant of COVID identified so far.
After that, WHO decided to hold an extraordinary session, De Oliveira told Financial Times.

2029 are the new cases of coronavirus in Bulgaria for the last 24 hours. More than 21,000 tests have been performed. This is nearly 9.5% of those surveyed.

386 patients remain for treatment in the intensive care unit. 83 people lost the battle with the disease. More than 760 have recovered. More than 11,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given.

There are 35 new cases of coronavirus in our country. Just over 5,900 tests were performed, which means that the percentage of positive samples remains low.

744 patients remain for treatment in hospitals, nearly 90 of them in intensive care units. Five people have lost the battle with the disease.

The total doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the last 24 hours are over 2000.

Concerns are also rising about the effectiveness of vaccines against the Beta variant

Frustrated holidaymakers and travel industry leaders rounded on the U.K. government on July after a last-minute change maintained quarantine for residents returning to England from France.

A 90-year-old woman who died after falling ill with COVID-19 was infected with both the Alpha and Beta variants of the coronavirus at the same time, researchers in Belgium said on July 11, adding that the rare phenomenon may be underestimated.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on May 30 that South Africa would re-impose stricter measures against Covid-19 fearing the whole country will soon face a third wave of the pandemic.

Four of the nation's nine provinces, including Gauteng which boasts Johannesburg and Pretoria and has the biggest population, are already battling a third wave of infections, Ramaphosa said.

Turkey this week is moving to a new normalization phase in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Minister Fahrettion Koca previously said that the Health Ministry's Science Board was working on plans on how to proceed toward normalization after June 1.

Progress against the coronavirus pandemic remains "fragile" and international travel should be avoided, a World Health Organization director warned Thursday, while stressing that authorised vaccines work against variants of concern.