Elsewhere around the globe, events were scaled back, with officials urging people to stay home. The sudden arrival of Omicron has brought a surge in coronavirus case counts to countries around the world. Deaths, however, have not risen in kind, bringing hope the new variant is less lethal. South Africa had first raised the alarm about the new fast-spreading coronavirus variant racing around the world. "I'm just hoping that Cape Town goes back to the old Cape Town that we all knew about," said Michael Mchede, manager of a Hard Rock cafe by the white sands of Camps Bay Beach, who was thrilled to find himself getting the place ready to host an unexpected bash.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 01, 2022 14:23 UTC