Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: GCIS/ Flickr
Ramaphosa turns to BRICS experts to help overcome COVID crisis
President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited BRICS scientists to South Africa in the continued battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: GCIS/ Flickr
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called upon international scientists to research COVID-19. While the Omicron variant continues to raise concern over transmission rates, Ramaphosa will opt to rope in additional experts.
The Presidency announced that BRICS scientists will be working together to study COVID-19 and its mutations. Professor Kholeka Mlisana, chair of the COVID-19 Ministerial Advisory Council, will be leading SA scientists in their work alongside their BRICS colleagues.
The BRICS alliance consists of nations including China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.
Ramaphosa highlights importance of COVID-19 research
Ramaphosa stresses the importance of sharing information on the COVID-19 virus.
“The spread of the different Covid-19 variants to all corners of the earth underlines the importance of effective surveillance, scientific transparency and collaborative research. Every country is affected and every country must be able to develop responses based on sound scientific evidence,”
President Cyril Ramaphosa
Foriegn experts set to bolster SA’s COVID-19 knowledge
The President is optimistic that the BRICS experts will help bolster SA’s knowledge of COVID-19.
“The collaboration among Brics countries is intended to broaden our knowledge of the Covid-19 virus, not only for the benefit of member countries, but for the global community more broadly,”
President Cyril Ramaphosa
SA is hosting the BRICS vaccine research centre and the project will partially focus on research into the Omicron variant.
Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla says that the new variant is being closely studied by local scientists.
It remains uncertain whether this new variant will be more transmissible than the Delta variant. However, it appears that patients with the new strain have only experienced mild symptoms.
Meanwhile, the President has yet to announce the date for his next ‘family meeting’ to discuss possible lockdown restrictions for SA. With COVID-19 infections rates still on the rise the state has stressed that economic recovery remains critical. Ultimately, the government hopes to balance protecting livelihoods with saving South African lives.
