Premium: SA reaction to Omicron suggests we’re learning to live with Covid-19

My inbox this morning contained some upbeat reactions to last night's address to the nation by SA president Cyril Ramaphosa. This was one "family meeting" that went well. CR has kept a cool head on the new Covid variant – including growing calls to introduce mandatory vaccines in SA.

FEDHASA's national chair said the tourism body is "absolutely thrilled". SATSA called it "the most powerful speech our president has delivered on Covid." Even the liquor industry's verdict was "broadly welcomes…"

It's common cause that South African scientists identified the new Covid strain and now their global peers know what to look for, Omicron is being found all over the world. The knee-jerk reaction to immediately isolate SA reflects poorly on the Western political establishment.

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