Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has COVID-19, President said | Coronavirus Plague News

The South African president is isolating himself in Cape Town and receiving less information, the president said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and is receiving limited information, his office said.

Ramaphosa, who is fully vaccinated, began to feel unwell after leaving a ceremony to remember the former President FW de Klerk in Cape Town on Sunday, it said.

The 69-year-old leader is now isolated from Cape Town and is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service, it said.

He has handed over the reins of office to Vice President David Mabuza next week.

The president did not say whether Ramaphosa was infected with the Omicron coronavirus.

The radical change, which was first announced in South Africa last month, has sparked controversy global fears fearing that it is more contagious than other types of coronavirus.

The president said Ramaphosa and his party had tested COVID-19 several times last week during a visit to four West African countries.

Some of the Presidential envoys tested in Nigeria and returned to South Africa. Throughout the trip, Ramaphosa and his envoys were found to be missing.

“The President and his delegation returned to South Africa from the Republic of Senegal on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, with serious consequences.

“The president was found to be HIV-negative when he returned to Johannesburg on December 8,” it said.

The remarks echoed Ramaphosa’s words that his illness had served as a warning to all citizens of the need for immunizations and to be vigilant to prevent them from being identified.

“Vaccination is the best protection against serious illness and hospitalization,” he said.

“People who have connected with the president today are advised to look for signs or test themselves,” it added.

South Africa is currently struggling with a rapid resumption of Omicron-led operations, health officials say.

In early November, South Africa was filming about 200 people, but the disease started amazing climb soon.

The country filed more than 18,000 certified cases of COVID-19 on Sunday night.

More than 70 percent of cases are attributed to Omicron, according to a genetic study.

Meanwhile, most cases have been reduced, and the number of complications that require oxygen is relatively small, doctors say.