The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
A NUMBER of suburbs in Bulawayo have been put under localized lockdown as government pushes to curb the rise in new infections of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zimbabwe has over the past few weeks recorded a surge in new infections and Covid-19 related deaths which saw Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, announcing a stricter lockdown at the beginning of the month.
Some districts in the country were however put on more localized lockdowns- these inclusive of Kwekwe, Karoi, Kariba, Makonde and Hurungwe- as government moved to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Presenting the post cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa revealed that more areas in the country, inclusive of suburbs in Bulawayo, which have been classified as hotspots have been put under localised lockdowns to ensure that the pandemic does not spread to other parts of the country.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the recent surge is mostly attributable to the general complacency in adhering to the set Covic-19 preventive and precautionary measures both in the communities and at workplaces.
“Following the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, Cabinet has directed the Vehicle Inspection Department, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and other stakeholders to increase surveillance to enforce compliance with COVID-19 regulations for ZUPCO intercity and intra-urban services.
“Cabinet further approved the localized lockdown in the following hotspot areas: – in Mashonaland West; Karoi, Makonde, Chinhoyi, Mhangura, Chidamwoyo, Magunje, Chirundu, in Bulawayo; Nkulumane, Emakhandeni and Northern Surburbs in Mashonaland Central; Mount Darwin and in Masvingo, Chiredzi,” said the Minister.
She revealed that there will be a joint security blitz to enforce the promulgated Covid-19 prevention and control measures, especially in the designated hot spots.
According to the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) health services department the city is divided into three clinical districts, Nkulumane, Emakhandeni and northern suburbs.
Suburbs covered by the Nkulumane clinical district, include Nkulumane, Pelandaba, Sizinda, Nketa, Emganwini and Barham Green.
Emakhandeni clinical district covers Cowdray Park, Njube, Luveve, Magwegwe suburbs, Pumula suburbs and Emakhandeni.
The northern suburbs include Mpopoma, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja, Makokoba and city centre.
In essence, majority of the suburbs in the high density suburbs and the city centre have effectively gone into localised lockdown.
Min Mutsvangwa said some of the measures that will be implemented to lower the case fatality rate will be the strengthening of critical care in admitting facilities, ensuring oxygen availability in admitting centres, ensuring availability of critical care equipment and cascading critical care training.
“Furthermore, measures are being put in place to guarantee the availability of essential services through Telemedicine, intergrated outreach, and equipping existing treatment centres with monitoring equipment, medications, PPEs. In addition, Cabinet agreed that Home Based Care will be strengthened by accelerating the introduction of the concept of a Virtual Hospital (Home Based Care).
“The nation is advised that as a result of the current surge, the Risk Communication and Information Subcommittee’s subnational structures have increased awareness campaigns across the country, focusing on the most affected areas,” said the Minister.
Early this month VP Chiwenga announced new lockdown regulations. Under the new regulations, all gatherings except funerals are banned. Companies have been directed to decongest their staff by 50 percent while workshops have been banned.
The new measures also stipulate that restaurants can only serve takeaways.
Beer halls and nightclubs remain closed while bottle stores will operate from 10am to 4pm with retailers and shops operating from 8AM to 6PM.
