South Africans cling to Christmas cheer as Omicron spreads

An empty bar is seen at Camps Bay beachfront as the city experiences a subdued Christmas season after months of lockdowns and worries about the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cape Town, South Africa, December 23, 2021. Picture taken December 23, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Caden Khayo stands outside a bar on Cape Town's Long Street, desperate to make the most of this Christmas after months of restrictions and worries about COVID-19.

Many had feared a repeat of last year's holiday shutdown after South Africa became one of the first countries to identify the new fast-spreading Omicron variant.