With one of the strictest initial lockdowns in the world, South Africa avoided the high death toll that many experts feared. As restrictions eased in the last quarter of the year, however, the death toll climbed steadily, spiking before the holiday season. Early in December, South Africa tried to curb the spread of infections in hot spots by imposing a curfew, banning the sale of alcohol on weekends and closing beaches. This second wave of the virus is believed to be spurred by a variant of the virus discovered by South African scientists, alongside a new variant discovered in Britain. South Africa does not have access to any vaccines yet, but Ramaphosa assured citizens that the country will have enough vaccines for 10% of the population.

Source: bd News24 December 28, 2020 14:26 UTC