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Mkhize said there is evidence that the UK variant was developed before the South African.
FILE: Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize. Image: AFP
JOHANNESURG – The Department of Health said there is no evidence that the recently identified COVID-19 variant in South Africa is more dangerous or communicable than the one that causes infections in the United Kingdom.
In a statement released late Friday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said he is concerned about the perception created in a UK government report that the variant in South Africa has been a major factor in the second wave of That country.
Earlier this week, the UK confirmed two cases of the mutation in residents who had traveled from South Africa.
As a result, the government imposed an immediate restriction on travel between the two countries.
Mkhize said there is evidence that the UK variant developed earlier than the South African one.
It maintains that non-pharmaceutical interventions and strict containment measures are important to reduce the risk of transmission.
(Edited by Refilwe Pitjeng)
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Statement: There is no evidence that the 501.V2 variant is more dangerous than the UK variant. https://t.co/DUMxaq9nsE
Dr. Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) Dec 24, 2020
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