Hi Mark, increasing infections, travel bans: the situation in South Africa sounds serious. Do you notice anything about that?
“The large white tents in which the Pretoria City Hospital has housed their covid ward briefly suggested an emergency when I arrived there on Wednesday. But it soon became apparent that those tents have been there since the start of the pandemic. Due to the risk of contamination, they have chosen not to treat covid patients within the hospital walls.
‘I spoke to a doctor from the covid ward of that hospital. She told me that sixteen corona patients are currently admitted there. At the height of the crisis last July, when it was winter in South Africa, there were as many as 70. The doctor said: ‘no panic’. Strangely enough, there is no question of a crisis situation here. However, the doctor thought it was too early to judge what effects omikron will really have. She advised to come back in ten days.’
Is South Africa taking measures to contain the new variant?
‘At the moment alertness level 1 applies in South Africa, while the strictest measures are only introduced at level 5. For the time being, it will remain that way, despite the discovery of the new variant. President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the government will first look to see if there is actually a new wave. He does not want any lockdown measures yet.
‘But there are certainly some limitations. For example, there is still an official curfew from 12 to 4 am. At indoor events, a maximum of 750 people may attend, at outdoor events the maximum is 2,000. But for the rest, life just goes on. The supermarkets and shops are open, the traffic is busy.’
Yet many countries no longer want travelers from South Africa. Is that understanding?
“That depends on who you ask. Some people don’t care about it at all. Someone in the street replied:what travel ban?’ But people who depend on foreigners or tourists for their income often feel powerless.
‘They fear loss of income. The lucrative Christmas period, when European tourists come to the country, seems to be canceled. I was in a restaurant opposite the house where Nelson Mandela lived, a tourist attraction. The manager said she only had four customers today. That is less than the number of employees. She didn’t know if she could still afford them. She has had to lay off five employees.
“People here feel they are being punished for something they can’t do anything about. The president, a neatly controlled man, also spoke out quite angrily against the international travel bans during a press conference earlier this week.’
In the Netherlands we hear a lot about the low vaccination coverage in African countries. How well are the people of South Africa protected against the virus?
About 35 percent of all adult residents are fully vaccinated. That may not seem like much, but it is one of the highest of all African countries. Moreover, South Africa has enough vaccines: more than 15 million. In a population of almost 60 million, that is not yet enough to give everyone a shot, but that too can be supplemented.
“The government’s original goal was to vaccinate 70 percent of adults by the end of the year. That will be difficult, but the urgency surrounding omikron is now being used to boost that degree. President Ramaphosa is now even proposing compulsory vaccination. That idea seems to be taking off, many people want to do everything they can to prevent a new lockdown.’
How has the country gotten through the crisis so far?
‘With a lot of damage. The corona crisis has hit hard here, both in terms of health and the economy. According to official figures, there have been more than 90 thousand corona deaths, in reality probably many more. And the lockdowns caused financial and social damage. Schools were closed this summer, alcohol was banned and the curfew started as early as 9pm.
‘I notice that many people have a lot of uncertainty about the new variant. They thought the worst was behind them, but the travel bans have dealt another blow. Someone on the street said to me: ‘We were finally able to look forward and up again, but the new variant means we are all looking back again.’
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