MILD SYMPTOMS

South African President Tests Positive for COVID Amid Omicron Surge

Cyril Ramaphosa is self-isolating in Cape Town two days after his government reported 19,000 new Omicron-linked cases.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, the office of the presidency said, and is experiencing mild symptoms. The president began feeling unwell following the memorial service for former President F.W. de Klerk. Ramaphosa, who is fully vaccinated, is self-isolating in Cape Town and remains, the presidency added, “in good spirits.” He has delegated all responsibilities to his deputy president, David Mabuza, for the next week.

Ramaphosa’s office did not say whether he had been infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. South Africa, in its fourth wave of the pandemic, has experienced an “unprecedented” outbreak believed to be linked to Omicron. The country reported 22,400 new cases on Thursday and 19,000 on Friday. Just over a quarter of the country has been fully vaccinated, according to a CNN global vaccine tracker. “President Ramaphosa says his own infection serves as a caution to all people in the country to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure,” the presidency’s Sunday statement said.