Daily news update: SA to remain on level 1 lockdown, Omicron symptoms

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SA to remain on level 1 lockdown, talks about mandatory vaccines underway

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday, on developments in the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ramaphosa told South Africans that the country is better equipped to respond to the newly emerged omicron variant, and that there are a number of things scientists already know about the new variant.

Ramaphosa said the government has been working with various sectors and having discussion between government, labour and community constitutency to implement mandatory vaccines for certain locations and activities.

The National State of Disaster will also remain in place, and this along with the current alert level 1 lockdown will be re-evaluated in the coming days and weeks.

These are the Omicron variant symptoms to look out for

Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, told AFP she had seen around 30 patients over the past 10 days who tested positive for Covid-19 but had unfamiliar symptoms.

“What brought them to the surgery was this extreme tiredness,” she said, speaking from Pretoria, where she practices.

She said this was unusual for younger patients.

Most were men aged under 40. Just under half were vaccinated.

Department of correctional services mum on Oscar Pistorius prison transfer

Convicted murderer and Paralympian Oscar Pistorius who killed model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day eight years ago has reportedly been transferred to a prison in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape.

Despite several reports that Oscar Pistorius was secretly transferred to a Gqeberha prison on Friday, the Department of Correctional Services say they cannot confirm this.

More corruption charges could be on the cards for Magashule – report

Suspended ANC secretary-general and former Free State premier Ace Magashule could soon be facing more corruption charges. 

According to an article published by Sunday World, the charges would involve Magashule and former Free State MEC for human settlements Mosebenzi Zwane, and relates to the R1 billion bogus Free State housing project a decade ago that cost the province millions. 

Munster and Cardiff teams remain in SA after Covid positives

The Munster and Cardiff Blues rugby teams have been forced to delay their return home from South Africa after members of their squads tested positive for coronavirus.

The two sides had travelled to South Africa to play matches in the United Rugby Championship but all four games were postponed after South African authorities reported the discovery of the new Omicron variant of the virus.