Omicron-fuelled fourth Covid wave has passed, says South Africa, as it eases restrictions

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South Africa has lifted a nightime curfew on people's movement with immediate effect, believing the country has passed the peak of its fourth coronavirus wave driven by the Omicron variant.

As the head of the World Health Organization sounded an optimistic note about beating the pandemic in 2022, the government in Pretoria removed the midnight-to-4am curfew based on the trajectory of the pandemic, vaccination levels and available capacity in the health sector, the government said on Thursday.