South Africa detects India, UK Covid variants

Johannesburg: South Africa's health ministry on Saturday reported that four cases of Indian covid variant and 11 cases of UK variant had been recorded in the country.

"The four cases of B.1.617.2 have been detected in (the provinces of) Gauteng (2) and KwaZulu-Natal (2) and all have a history of recent arrival from India," said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize in a statement late Saturday.

Eleven cases of another variant first detected in the United Kingdom and known as B.1.1.7 have also been found, the statement added, adding the probability of community transmission of that variant.

Mkhize said that travel restrictions would soon be announced after a cabinet discussion on the matter to protect the economy of Africa's most industrialised nation.

South Africa is the continent's worst virus-hit country, amounting for more than 34 percent of all cases in the region.

The country's second coronavirus wave, which peaked earlier this year, was driven by a local, more infectious coronavirus variant known as B.1.351.