The Sunday News
THE country’s Covid-19 health management strategy is bearing fruit with new infections going down and the recovery rate picking up.
As a result, the country has witnessed a decline in the number of deaths, a sign that systems put in place by Government to contain the spread of coronavirus are bearing fruit. We however, acknowledge that one death is one too many, although we have to be practical and look at the trends, which appear to be coming under control.
A medical expert, Mpilo Hospital Acting Chief Executive Prof Solwayo Ngwenya was quoted by our sister paper, Chronicle on Friday acknowledging the good work done by Government and health officials thus far. He pointed out that the lockdown put at the beginning of last month has been effective as people were more observant compared to the last few months of 2020. He, however, said the reduced number of new cases and deaths should not make people relax.
“We are pleased to note that the lockdown has been effective in weakening the impact of Covid-19 as figures have come down even nationally. My worry still remains that the virus is not gone and we may have another wave probably a third wave which is more deadly. We must continue adhering to the (lockdown) conditions because more new cases mean a majority of our (health) staff will be at risk of getting infected. This tends to affect our service delivery due to critical staff shortages if one tests positive and forced to quarantine.”
According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the recovery rate was last Wednesday pegged at 80,6 percent an upward improvement from 79,2 percent that was recorded on Tuesday. And in previous weeks, it had gone down further.
The Government should also be applauded for moving swiftly to source the vaccine for the deadly pandemic which has had devastating effects on the economy and social lives of people. President Mnangagwa on Thursday said the rolling out of Covid-19 vaccines scientifically ascertained to be safe, will be State funded with all citizens set to access the doses for free as Government is finalising the National Vaccine Deployment Framework.
He reiterated that Government was targeting to initially immunise at least 60 percent of the population to achieve “population immunity”. The first phase of immunisation is primarily targeting frontline workers, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.
“Our overall National Response Strategy has reached a stage where we can now introduce vaccines as a second front preventive measure. As such, Covid-19 vaccines, which have been scientifically ascertained to be safe, will soon be introduced. These will be State funded and free. The National Vaccine Deployment Framework has also been finalised.
The initial objective is to inoculate at least 60 percent of the population to achieve population immunity. The first phase of inoculation of the vaccine will see our hard-working frontline workers, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions being prioritised.”
President Mnangagwa said Government has set aside the requisite financial resources for the purchase of vaccines.
And in line with Government policy of pooling national effort and resources, Government will also partner the corporate world and other players in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and related consumables.
However, as the President said, the war against Covid-19 is far from over.
“The war is not yet over. We must renew our vigilance at all times so that we consolidate the current downward transmission trend through masking up, washing hands and practising social distancing. This is also keeping with the exhortations made in the Bible in Exodus 30 v 18-21 which talks of washing of hands and Leviticus 13 verses 4, 5 and 46, which talks on social distancing and Leviticus 13 verses 4 and 5 om quarantine,” he said.
