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It’s never a good thing when, as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in the midst of the spread of the Omicron variant, your president tests positive.

In case you missed that, President Ramaphosa is receiving treatment for mild COVID-19 symptoms after testing positive yesterday.

He began to feel unwell after leaving a state memorial service for former President FW de Klerk in Cape Town.

South Africa now has Deputy President David Mabuza at the helm for the next week which is a truly terrifying prospect.

Even before that news broke reports were circulating that ahead of this week’s National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) meeting, tighter lockdown restrictions for the festive season were on the table.

Here’s City Press:

Sources within the presidency said Ramaphosa initially had no intentions to address the nation but might be forced to make several adjustment to the lockdown before the start of the festive period on Thursday…

The source said the most concerning thing for the president was the high number of gatherings especially during the festive season.

The president might be forced to reduce the number of both indoors and outdoors gatherings.

Reducing the numbers allowed at large indoor and outdoor gatherings doesn’t seem like a terrible idea.

As things stand on alert level 1, the number of people permitted to attend indoor gatherings is 750 and up to 2 000 at outdoor events.

But are we really going to revisit alcohol sales restrictions? It appears we may:

“[Ramaphosa] is considering proposing to the NCCC and cabinet a few adjustments which include banning the sale of alcohol on weekends and public holidays until mid-January. Don’t be surprised when we have a family meeting before Thursday. He is serious about protecting the country,” said the source.

It’s not a family meeting. There is no two-way dialogue. There are no follow-up questions. He gives an address and then buggers off.

Expect large queues at liquor stores across the country this week.

There was some panic when the latest numbers came out last night via the NICD, showing 37 875 new cases.

The institute soon clarified why the numbers were so high:

Please see full statement in link: https://t.co/DglCEAmTQR
In the past 24hours, 18,035 COVID-19 cases have been reported. The total number of confirmed cases is 3,167,497 to date which includes 19,840 retrospective cases (due to late reporting by public labs) & 18,035 new cases. pic.twitter.com/h97Z1ANdE8

— NICD (@nicd_sa) December 12, 2021

The number for the 24-hour period included 19 840 retrospective cases as well as those 18 035 new cases.

For some good news we turn to researcher Ridhwaan Suliman. The below is based on the COVID-19 numbers from Saturday night:

Is it turning?
Early indications that confirmed #COVID19 cases and #Omicron wave in Gauteng 🇿🇦 may have reached a peak!
Don’t have latest provincial test numbers, but based on previous waves’ trajectories, this looks promising 🤞🏽 pic.twitter.com/Nr9PrltfgL

— Ridhwaan Suliman (@rid1tweets) December 12, 2021

Speaking yesterday, Dr Angelique Coetzee of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) pleaded for everybody to remain calm:

“There’s no reason why you can’t trust us when we say to you ‘it’s mild disease!'”

Dr Angelique Coetzee of the South African Medical Association details the Omicron situation in the country that alerted the world to the variant.@TomSwarbrick1 | #SwarbrickOnSunday pic.twitter.com/xkKp9btT8L

— LBC (@LBC) December 12, 2021

Just when you think you’ve made it through 2021, another curveball.

[source:citypress]