South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive for COVID-19, Office Reveals

In February, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the first in his country to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when he received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson jab. The country initially set a goal of vaccinating 40 million people before the end of 2021.

Ramaphosa's office announced on Sunday that the South African president is now receiving treatment after testing positive for COVID-19.

The 69-year-old leader is said to be experiencing mild symptoms of the highly-contagious disease.

"The President, who is fully vaccinated, is in self-isolation in Cape Town and has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week," the release detailed.

Ramphosa recently returned from a week-long series of visits to Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal. The South African president's office noted that he was tested for COVID-19 in all four West African countries.

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

President @CyrilRamaphosa is receiving treatment for mild COVID-19 symptoms after testing positive for the viral infection today, Sunday, 12 December 2021.

— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) December 12, 2021

"President Ramaphosa says his own infection serves as a caution to all people in the country to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure," the office said, noting that "vaccination remains the best protection" against the disease.

Those who may have been in contact with the South African president are being advised to get tested for COVID-19 and watch for the emergence of related symptoms.

South Africa has recently been ravaged by the omicron variant, recording over 18,000 daily COVID-19 cases. Despite the spread of infections, the country's current unemployment crisis complicates the practicality of further lockdown measures.

With more than 90,000 COVID-19-related deaths and over 3.2 million identified cases of the contagious disease, South Africa is regarded as the hardest-hit nation on the African continent.