Somber mood as S. Africa faces variant

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — The overcast, drizzly skies match the somber mood at the Tshwane University of Technology, a hot spot in South Africa’s latest surge of COVID19 cases, apparently driven by the new omicron variant that is leading countries around the world to impose new restrictions.

After several students tested positive, the university post- poned some exams, and offi- cials in the larger metropoli- tan area of Tshwane, which includes the capital of Pretoria, are pushing vaccinations, especially among younger adults who have been slow to get the shots.

At TUT, as the university is known, few students wanted to speak about the new vari- ant that has cast a pall. Many were not vaccinated — only 22% of 18- to 34-year-olds in South Africa are — and some seemed to be rethinking that, though notably the university’s vaccination center was closed for the weekend.

Manqoba Zitha, a student who has gotten the shot, said he will be pushing fellow class- mates to do the same.

“I’m trying to encourage them so that they can vaccinate, so they can stay away from coronavirus because it’s there, it’s killing people, and now numbers are rising,” said Zitha. “Now when we are watching TV we can see that people are getting coronavi- rus. So they must vaccinate!”

Gauteng province — home to Pretoria and South Africa’s largest city of Johannesburg — is the center of the new surge. So far, cases there appear to be mild, according to doctors, and hospital admissions have not spiked. But experts warn the early round of infections has been among the young and the situation may become more serious if the new surge affects older, unvaccinated South Africans. In all, 41% of those aged 18 and over are vaccinated — but young people have been particularly slow to step forward.

At least three South Afri- can universities — the University of Cape Town, Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Free State in Bloemfontein — have announced that vaccinations will be manda- tory for students starting next year. Some experts think further measures will be needed.

“I do think that the decision that South Africa is going to have to make is probably around mandatory vaccination,” said Mosa Moshabela, professor of public health at the University of Kwazulu-natal in Durban.

Demand for the vaccine has been so sluggish that the government recently requested slower deliveries to allow it time to use up its current stock of 19 million doses of the Pfizer-biontech and Johnson & Johnson shots.

In an address to the nation on Sunday, a solemn President Ramaphosa urged peo- ple to get vaccinated quickly.

“Tonight, I would like to call on every person who has not been vaccinated to go to their nearest vaccination station without delay,” he said.