Covid-19 hits school hard
Concern as small number of Indian and UK variants are found in SA
The ministerial advisory committee on Covid-19 has called for stricter restrictions on people coming into SA as the number of positive cases increase, sparking fears of a third wave and new variants.
Prof Koleka Mlisana, the chairperson of the ministerial advisory council, told Sowetan yesterday that it had already called for the tightening of regulations for people entering SA. “From the council’s perspective, we were proposing further restrictions. Whether those are being implemented or not, I would not be able to say. There is an advisory that we have forwarded to the minister [in this regard].
“The advisory is looking at the current scene of variants across the globe and what they mean. We are then saying there obviously has to be stricter restrictions to whoever is coming to the country, specifically from certain countries. We are looking at countries that have high rates of transmission,” Mlisana said.
She declined to reveal the additional restrictions proposed and which countries would be affected.
Political parties have also called on the government to impose travel restrictions on flights from India. That country announced a record of over 400,000 new Covid-19 cases and nearly 4,000 daily deaths as it became the second country to reach more than 20-million infections after the US.
The national department of health confirmed at the weekend that 11 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, first detected in the UK, and four cases of the B.1.617.2 variant that was first detected in India, had been confirmed in SA. Two of the cases of the B.1.617.2 variant were detected in Gauteng and two in KwaZulu-Natal. All had recently travelled from India.
The latest developments come as experts predict a possible third wave of the pandemic in the coming weeks as the country is currently experiencing a steady rise in daily Covid-19 infections. SA breached the 2,000 mark of daily infections last week for the first time in a while, with Gauteng and KZN being the two hotspots in the country.
Prof Mosa Moshabela said: “The health minister cannot simply say we must not worry about this variant when people are actually scared, concerned and afraid. The government must communicate clearly what they know about B1.617.2 and explain to people why they should not worry. We don’t know how different it is from the dominant variant that we’ve had since November.”
Moshabela added that closing the borders to visitors from high-risk areas such as India was not a solution. “Balancing the economy and pandemic is a tough balancing act and the government needs to find the sweet spot. Government’s better option is to strengthen surveillance at the borders and tighten the preventive measures – but people are tired of adhering to these measures.”
Dr Owen Kaluwa from the
World Health Organisation said borders should remain open. “New variants will always emerge where there is Covid. Restriction will not help. The government just needs to have proper tracing and testing measures at the points of entry.”
The rise in Covid-19 infections appears to have done little to dampen the spirits of partygoers on weekends as life seemed to have returned to normal in Gauteng.
A medley of Amapiano and deep house music thumped from the parked cars along the famous Vilakazi Street in Soweto as throngs walked about without masks while street vendors gathered in corners and casually shared cigarettes.
“I’ve heard about the India variant that might come to SA. The past year was tough. We lived in fear and became prisoners in our homes.
“We can’t live like that any more. Life has to carry on,” said Sbusiso Mthembu, a patron at one of the eateries.
Sowetan observed that many people only wore their masks when entering restaurants or hangout spots and took them off once inside. In some instances, there was little or no social distancing.
At one spot, there was no one taking temperatures at the entrance despite a thermometer being available.
At another tavern in the Randburg CBD, a security guard told Sowetan that they had run out of sanitisers.