December 24th, 14,305 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were added in South Africa, breaking the record for two consecutive days since the outbreak of the epidemic in March, and the total number of confirmed cases is also approaching one million.
Whether it’s a flight ban in various countries or a new lockdown measures being brewed by the government, hopes for South Africa’s economic growth have once again blurred.
On the evening of the 18th local time, South African Health Minister Mkhez said that the COVID-19 in South Africa has mutated and is the “culprit” of the rapid spread of the second wave of the virus in South Africa.
Subsequently, new confirmed cases tested in many countries showed that they were related to the mutant virus in South Africa. At present, South African flights have been banned from entering many countries and regions, including Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and so on.
In early December, data released by the South African Bureau of Statistics showed that South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 13.5% month-on-month in the third quarter of this year with the relaxation of the “lockdown”.
Some epidemic prevention experts also said that South Africa, which is in the summer, will not succeed because the novel coronavirus virus is not conducive to the spread in warm environment. South Africa is perhaps experiencing the most difficult “winter” since the founding of the country for the hardest hit area of the epidemic, and all this optimism has been shattered by slack consciousness and mutant viruses.
No matter how the number of confirmed cases rises, the awareness of local people’s epidemic prevention and protection has been diluted by the atmosphere of traditional Western holidays.
Despite the government’s order to close the beach, people are still gathering leisurely in the salt water lake a few meters away. Gatherings still occur everywhere, and the way masks are worn is also ingenious because of the arrival of summer.
Over the past two months, mutant COVID-19 has become increasingly dominant in South Africa. Testing agencies disclosed that 80-90% of the COVID-19 samples they currently obtained were this variant.
Clinical data show that more patients are young people without underlying diseases, but they show more serious symptoms than previous exposure to the novel coronavirus.
The second wave has come, but the South African government has still not implemented a stricter blockade, but has introduced some measures.
It is not difficult to see that the South African government is currently in a dilemma between controlling the epidemic and saving the economy.
