Rise in Africa infections prompts curbs

COVID-19 infections are rising once again in Africa, driven by a surge in cases in South Africa.

Data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows the continent added 37,111 cases for the week to May 1, representing a 38 percent jump from the previous week.

South Africa reported 32,852 new cases during the week, driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron variant.

On Thursday, the country's National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported 9,757 new COVID-19 cases, an increase from the 6,170 cases reported the previous day. The positivity rate increased from 23 percent to 26 percent. The number of new hospital admissions jumped from 120 on Wednesday to 135.

To contain the spread of the coronavirus, the South Africa Department of Health introduced regulations on Thursday that focus mainly on the requirements for face masks and limits on gatherings.

Under the regulations, people are required to wear masks when using public transport and in indoor public places, with exemptions for children at school.

For indoor and outdoor gatherings, a maximum of 50 percent of a venue's capacity may be occupied provided that every attendee is vaccinated and can produce a vaccination certificate. Alternatively, people must produce a negative COVID-19 test result time-stamped within 72 hours of the event.

"If complying with this indoor gathering requirement is not possible, then attendance shall be limited to 1,000 people or 50 percent of the capacity, whichever is smaller, while the attendance at an outdoor gathering shall be limited to 2,000 people or 50 percent of the capacity,"Health Minister Joe Phaahla said on Wednesday.

International travelers arriving in South Africa are required to be vaccinated, or they must show negative nucleic acid test results from within 72 hours of their departure.

At a news briefing on Thursday, Ahmed Ouma, the deputy director of the Africa CDC, said that despite the increasing number of new infections across Africa, the death rates from COVID-19 are falling.

Africa has fully vaccinated only 17.2 percent of its population against COVID-19, with 10 African Union member states having vaccinated more than 35 percent of their populations. Eritrea is yet to start a vaccine rollout.