South Africa accelerates vaccination campaign amid Covid surge

Tests indicate that the Omicron variant, which was first reported in Southern Africa, is spreading quickly (Jerome Delay/AP)

South Africa has accelerated its vaccination campaign by giving jabs at pop-up sites in shopping centres and transport hubs to combat a rapid rise in new Covid-19 cases, a week after the discovery of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

New daily cases nearly doubled to 8,561 on Wednesday, from 4,373 a day earlier, according to official statistics. Scientists said they were braced ready for the surge to continue.