Omicron Hospitalizations ‘Remain Low,’ Says South Africa Health Ministry

Melva Mlambo, right, and Puseletso Lesofi, both medical scientists prepare to sequence COVID-19 omicron samples at the Ndlovu Research Center in Elandsdoorn, South Africa, on Dec. 8, 2021. Jerome Delay/AP Photo

South African Health Ministry on Thursday said Omicron COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations remain relatively low despite worldwide panic and new government mandates.

“According to scientific studies, this virus is spreading quicker than in previous waves, but the rates of hospitalizations and deaths remain relatively low,” according to a news release from South Africa’s Ministry of Health.