Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

South Africa Stops Tracing, Quarantining Contacts Of COVID-19 Cases

South Africa Stops Tracing, Quarantining Contacts Of COVID-19 Cases

The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 appears to be having a less severe impact than the earlier variants, a study in South Africa has found.
South Africa has stopped tracing and quarantining contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases with immediate effect, the health department has said, as the country tries to bounce back from economic downturn precipitated by the pandemic.

The Director-General of the Department of Health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, confirmed on Thursday that contact tracing would be stopped with immediate effect except in congregate settings and cluster outbreak situations or self-contained settings.

"All contacts must continue with their normal duties with heightened monitoring (daily temperature testing, symptom screening). If they develop symptoms, then they should be tested and be managed according to the severity of the condition," Buthelezi said.

The move comes after scientists and members of the medical fraternity had advised the government that the economic hub of Gauteng province had now passed the peak of a fourth wave.

The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 appears to be having a less severe impact than the earlier variants, a study in South Africa has found.

This variant was first identified by South African scientists last month and it has sparked extensive research into its impact.

"In South Africa, Omicron is behaving in a way that is less severe," said Cheryl Cohen, professor in epidemiology at the University of the Witwatersrand, who shared results of a research titled 'Early Assessment of the Severity of the Omicron variant in South Africa' in an online briefing by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Some of the other reasons being cited for this decision is that the proportion of people with some immunity from infection and/or vaccination remained high.

"(These) strategies are no longer appropriate. Mitigation is the only viable strategy. (This is) especially true of the newer, more infectious/transmissible variants like Omicron," Buthelezi said.

"Quarantine has been costly to essential services and society as many people stay away from their work and thus lose their income and children miss on their schooling," he explained.

The other reason includes skewed testing towards a symptomatic minority, which does not factor in the newer variants and pre-existing immunity.

The financial sector has welcomed these measures, as South Africa attempts to recover from its longest economic downturn in over three decades.

According to the latest norms, isolation norms would continue to apply for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, who return to work from Day 10 onwards, but no isolation is required for patients with mild symptoms.

They are only required to be under self-observation with enhanced precautions that include wearing masks, avoiding social gathering and maintaining social-distancing norms.

Mild diseases refer to persons who have symptoms and have been tested positive, but who do not require hospitalisation.

"There is no need for COVID-19 test (either PCR or antigen test) to be performed prior to returning to work after eight days of isolation. For mild cases, isolation beyond eight days must be supported by the medical report," Buthelezi added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×