Metro

South Africa may be entering COVID-19 fifth wave, says Health Minister

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2022

South Africa’s Health Minister Joe Phaahla, on Friday, confirmed that the country may be entering a fifth COVID-19 wave earlier than expected following a sustained rise in infections over the past 14 days.

Phaahla said at a press conference that the new wave seems to be driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants, adding that the country which has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent, only exited a fourth wave around January and had predicted a fifth wave could start in May or June, early in the southern hemisphere winter.

The Minister told the press briefing that although hospitalisations were picking up, there was so far no dramatic change in admissions to intensive care units or deaths.

“At this stage, health authorities have not been alerted to any new variant, other than changes to the dominant one circulating, Omicron,” Phaahla said.

Infectious disease specialist Richard Lessells who also spoke at the same briefing, said waning immunity from previous waves could be contributing to the earlier-than-expected resurgence in cases.

“The rising share of infections attributed to the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages of Omicron suggested they had a growth advantage over other Omicron sub-variants like BA.2.

“But so far there was no sign that BA.4 and BA.5 were causing significantly more severe disease,” he said.

South Africa has reported more than 3.7 million COVID cases and over 100,000 deaths since the breakout of the pandemic.

On Thursday, the World Health Organisation’s Africa office had flagged the rise in South Africa’s infections as the main driver of an uptick on the African continent.

Related Topics:#COVID-19 Featured South Africa

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Metro

Sign language interpreter, Kunda, seeks inclusivity in media rights agenda

Published

7 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

An inclusive society is crucial for a nation’s human and economic development in the modern era.

In this edition of Project Aliyense, we feature Paul Kunda, widely recognized as the face of sign language interpretation on national television, serving the deaf community.

Kunda, a dedicated sign language interpreter and educator with over four years of experience, sheds light on the significance of media freedom.

“As a sign language interpreter at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and a teacher by profession, I advocate for media freedom,” he said.

Kunda emphasised the importance of the Access to Information (ATI) Act, recently assented to by President Hakainde Hichilema, which empowered citizens to demand information freely.

He stressed the need for unhindered access to information to foster a civil and prosperous society.

Regarding digital rights, Kunda highlighted their critical role for the deaf community, given the transformative impact of digital platforms, especially when mainstream media access is limited.

“As a representative of the deaf community, I believe digital rights should be inclusive. Everyone, including persons with disabilities, should enjoy these rights through various devices to express themselves and participate in national discourse,” he asserted.

He also called for the recognition of sign language as the eighth national language, aligning with United Nations conventions that mandate sign language interpreters at all events to promote inclusivity.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Sign language interpreter, Kunda, seeks inclusivity in media rights agenda (video)

Published

9 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

An inclusive society is crucial for a nation’s human and economic development in the modern era.

In this edition of Project Aliyense, we feature Paul Kunda, widely recognized as the face of sign language interpretation on national television, serving the deaf community.

Kunda, a dedicated sign language interpreter and educator with over four years of experience, sheds light on the significance of media freedom.

“As a sign language interpreter at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and a teacher by profession, I advocate for media freedom,” he said.

Kunda emphasised the importance of the Access to Information (ATI) Act, recently assented to by President Hakainde Hichilema, which empowered citizens to demand information freely.

He stressed the need for unhindered access to information to foster a civil and prosperous society.

Regarding digital rights, Kunda highlighted their critical role for the deaf community, given the transformative impact of digital platforms, especially when mainstream media access is limited.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.