JOHANNESBURG (AP) —

South Africa has announced that a new variant of the COVID-19 virus is driving the country’s current resurgence of the disease, which is seeing higher numbers of confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

The new variant, known as 501.V2, is dominant among new confirmed infections in South Africa, according to health officials and scientists leading the country’s virus strategy.

“It is still very early but at this stage, the preliminary data suggests the virus that is now dominating in the second wave is spreading faster than the first wave,” Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairman of the government’s Ministerial Advisory Committee, said in a briefing to journalists.


“We are seeing a much earlier and much sharper rise in the second wave or resurgence than we anticipated,” Prof. Ian Sanne, a member of the advisory committee, told South Africa’s News24.

The new strain, different from the one in Britain, appears to be more infectious than the original virus. South African scientists are studying if the vaccines against COVID-19 will also offer protection against the new strain.

Some of the vaccines, including the one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, are undergoing clinical tests in South Africa.

The Philippines will ban travelers who were recently in the U.S. starting on Sunday after a third state confirmed a COVID-19 case with the new strain that experts say is more contagious.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said that foreigners who have been to the U.S. in the past 14 days will be denied entry to the country, according to a statement obtained by Reuters.

The travel ban, which added to other restrictions announced for 19 countries and territories on Tuesday, is slated to last until Jan. 15. Travelers from the U.S. who arrive before Jan. 3 can come into the country as long as they quarantine for 14 days.


The Philippines decided to add the U.S. to the list after the country’s health and foreign affairs department suggested doing so, Roque said, according to Reuters.

Filipinos who are returning from the U.S. will not be banned from entering the country, but will also have to do a 14-day quarantine in a government facility.