The year that wasn't

As if coronavirus (COVID-19) had afflicted Batswana enough, a new variant appeared days before Christmas, threatening all the testing, numbers of cases and ultimately the economy all citizens have been trying to protect in a year better left forgotten.

Authorities in South Africa last week confirmed that a new variant of the virus is behind rising cases in that country, with daily cases now frequently topping 9,000.
“A variant of the SARS-COV-2 Virus – currently termed 501.V2 Variant – has been identified by our genomics scientists here in South Africa,” Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize said on Twitter. “The evidence that has been collated, therefore, strongly suggests that the current second wave we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant.”