[앵커]
South Africa, which is directly affected by the new mutation ‘Omicron’ of Corona 19, has finally pulled out a vaccine compulsory card to increase the vaccination rate.
In particular, 1 in 10 people infected with Omicron are infants, raising concerns.
Correspondent Kim Seong-jin reports.
[기자]
The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Africa has more than tenfold increased from 200 per day two weeks ago.
In South Africa, it is estimated that up to 90% of new confirmed cases are microns.
A local infectious disease expert predicted that the next two to three weeks would be the most difficult, and the number of new infections a day could rise to 10,000 by this weekend.
At this rate of infection, there is also an analysis that the beds will soon be saturated.
In particular, Bloomberg News reported that 1 in 10 Omicron confirmed cases were confirmed to be infants.
According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in South Africa, in Tsuwane, Hauteng Province, where the capital city of Pretoria is located, 10% of patients under 2 years of age were hospitalized with Omicron infection.
Experts analyze that infants and young children are very vulnerable to Omicron infection because their immune systems are not fully developed and they are not vaccinated.
Omicron mutations also appeared in South Africa two days after they were first discovered in Botswana.
The South African government is responding to the current crisis of infection by increasing the vaccination rate.
Due to the rejection of the vaccine, the complete vaccination rate is about 35% for adults.
It was decided to encourage vaccination, considering that the existing vaccine will have a protective effect on severe cases even with Omicron mutation.
In this regard, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government is reviewing a policy to make vaccinations mandatory, limiting the use of certain facilities and activities to those vaccinated.
This is Yonhap News, Kim Seong-jin.
Yonhap News TV Article Inquiries and Reports: KakaoTalk/Line jebo23
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