A genomics network established to respond rapidly to public health threats in South Africa

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we created the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA) in May, 2020 with grants from the South African Medical Research Council and the South African Department of Science and Innovation. Our goal is to sequence the genome of at least 10 000 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) samples to inform the public health response in South Africa. As of July 27, 2020, we have sequenced the genome of 500 isolates, which has provided insights into how and when it was introduced into the country, and information on its early spread through clusters of outbreaks in health-care facilities, workplaces, and other congregate settings.