There were 580 hospitalisations linked to COVID-19 in Gauteng ( which includes the city of Johannesburg) this week, up from 135 two weeks ago. Since genetic sequencing is only performed on a small number of tests, it is not known how many of the people in the hospital had the Omicron strain. Just under 40 percent of Gauteng's residents have had a first dose of the vaccine and South African officials have described mild symptoms in many people found to be infected with the Omicron strain.

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