The South African government has lifted most restrictions in the country as officials declare the country “may have passed the peak of the fourth wave.” Restrictions are being removed “[b]ased on the trajectory of the pandemic, the levels of vaccination in the country and the available capacity within the health sector,” according to a government statement from…
South Africa Lifts Most COVID-19 Restrictions, Says It May Have Passed Peak of Omicron-Driven Wave
South Africa Recalls New Isolation and Quarantine Rules
JOHANNESBURG—South Africa has recalled rules that no longer required people without symptoms of COVID-19 to isolate or test if they have been in contact with a positive case, the government announced on Tuesday, saying an amended circular will be re-issued. Last week the health ministry said that asymptomatic individuals who had been in contact with…
Sudan Officials Say Defunct Mine Collapses, Kills 38 People
CAIRO—Sudanese authorities said at least 38 people were killed Tuesday when a defunct gold mine collapsed in West Kordofan province. The country’s state-run mining company said in a statement the collapse of the closed, non-functioning mine took place in the village of Fuja 700 kilometers (435 miles) south of the capital of Khartoum. It said…
South Africa Study Suggests Omicron Could Displace Delta
Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron could displace the Delta variant of the coronavirus because infection with the new variant boosts immunity to the older one. The study only covered a small group of people and has not been peer-reviewed, but it found that people who were infected with Omicron, especially those who…
Kenyan President Commends Chinese-Built Expressway, Defends Ties With China
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday commended the Chinese-built 27.1 kilometer Nairobi Expressway, which is slated to be ready by March next year, saying that Kenya’s partnership with China is one that is “mutually beneficial.” During his inspection tour of the Nairobi Expressway, Kenyatta said the expressway had created over 6,000 direct jobs and benefitted…
Ethiopian Airlines to Resume Using Boeing 737 MAX Planes in February
ADDIS ABABA—Ethiopian Airlines plans to resume flying Boeing 737 MAX planes on its fleet in February 2022, saying it was satisfied with their safety, its chief executive said on Monday. In 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX bound for Kenya, crashed six minutes after takeoff from Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, killing all…
South Africa’s Desmond Tutu Dies at 90
JOHANNESBURG—Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist for racial justice and LGBT rights and retired Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, has died, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday. He was 90. An uncompromising foe of apartheid, Tutu worked tirelessly, though non-violently, for its downfall. The buoyant, blunt-spoken clergyman used his pulpit as the…
Uganda Charges 15 With Terrorism for Role in ISIS-linked Bombings
KAMPALA—Uganda on Thursday charged 15 people with offences including terrorism and aiding terrorism related to their alleged role in bombings in the country’s capital and elsewhere in October and November that left at least nine people dead. In the early hours of Nov. 16, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of a…
South Africa Scraps Quarantining, Contact Tracing for Asymptomatic COVID-19 Cases
South Africa has announced it will halt contact tracing and end quarantine for asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 as the dynamics of the outbreak warrant a shift towards mitigation and away from containment strategies, which are “no longer appropriate.” The country’s director-general of health, Dr. Sandile Buthelezi, said in a Dec. 23 circular to heads of provincial…
Greece: 6 Dead, Several Missing in New Migrant Boat Accident
ATHENS, Greece—At least six people died and more than a dozen were believed missing after a migrant boat capsized in the Aegean Sea late Friday, bringing to at least 20 the combined death toll from three accidents in as many days involving migrant boats in Greek waters. The sinkings came as smugglers increasingly favor a…
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