COVID-19: Emerging picture from South Africa suggests Omicron variant could be real cause for concern

These graphs are showing a 'sustained increase' in cases in recent days in most of South Africa's provinces. Out in front, is Gauteng province, home to Johannesburg and South Africa's capital Pretoria. This is where the Omicron was first documented. I've been told that data being published later this week will shows that nearly all this increase is likely due to cases of the Omicron variant. Like labs here in the UK, a PCR test for Omicron looks clearly different to the previously dominant Delta variant due to the 'S-gene dropout'. This is now the typical feature of cases in South Africa's fourth wave.