Faizel Patel – 08/05/2021
The Health Department has announced that the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA) has confirmed that two variants other than the B.1.351 already dominating in South Africa, have been detected in the country.
The department says there are 11 cases of the B.1.1.7 (first detected in the UK) and 4 cases of the B.1.617.2 (first detected in India).
In addition the B.1.351 (first detected here in South Africa) has been sequenced from a patient travelling from Bangladesh.
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says two cases of the B.1.617.2 have been detected in Gauteng and two in KwaZulu-Natal and all have a history of recent arrival from India.
“All cases have been isolated and managed according to national COVID-19 case management guidelines and contact tracing has been performed in order to limit the spread of this variant.”
Mkhize says of the eleven cases of B.1.1.7, eight were detected in the Western Cape (with two having a history of travel from Bahrain), one was detected in KwaZulu- Natal and two were detected in Gauteng
“The B.1.1.7 has been detected in community samples and this therefore suggests that community transmission of B.1.1.7 has already set in.”
Mkhize says as the epidemic progresses, the detection of new variants is inevitable.
“The work of genomic surveillance assists us to detect the variants and understand their behaviour and to refine vaccines so they remain effective. NGS-SA remains vigilant as it continues to support the Department of Health. There are a number of other samples from cases with a history of recent travel into South Africa that are currently being sequenced and results are expected over the next few days.”
Mkhize has reiterated that there is no need to panic  as the fundamentals of the public health response (testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine) have not changed.
“We all have a responsibility to ad- here to prevention measures (avoiding large gatherings, physical distancing, mask wearing, ventilation tion and hand sanitation) in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa.”
Mkhize says the findings are urgently being processed by government and announcements pertaining to travel regulations will be made after all appropriate consultations have been undertaken by Cabinet.
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