The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE Government has urged the country’s population to be alive to the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic and avoid complacency in the wake of resurgent cases in Zimbabwe and other parts of the world.
The Government also called for strict adherence to prevention protocols. More than 350 cases of Covid-19 and four deaths have been recorded in the country over the past week signalling the continued presence of the virus with communities being urged to remain vigilant particularly as the country goes into the winter season. Cases of Covid-19 were decreasing over the past few weeks but have started to show some increased peaks raising alarm within the communities.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care daily Covid-19 update, 248 214 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Zimbabwe since the beginning of the pandemic and 5 473 deaths. Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro said there should be no relaxing as the virus had reaffirmed its presence.
“Covid-19 is still there, we can see the rest of the world there is a new spread of the virus and our cases as well are trickling up, it is true, so I want to encourage the whole citizenry, all Zimbabweans to keep up masking up, sanitising, social distancing and making sure they go to crowded places only when it is necessary, we need to keep those regulations going on,” said Dr Mangwiro.
He said the virus was unpredictable and could start a new wave in the country at any time.
“We all know that Covid-19 is not gone and we cannot predict when it will go and who it will harm. Also, I want to continue to encourage all Zimbabweans from the age of 12 upwards to go and vaccinate for either the first, second or third doses. Our vaccines are available all over the country up to all rural clinics and village health centres.
Vaccination is for free,” said Dr Mangwiro.
“We have seen in our studies that people who are vaccinated are less affected or they don’t get serious symptoms or consequences when they get the virus if they are vaccinated because their bodies will be fighting the virus. Even those who are diabetic, hypertensive, have asthma, cancer and HIV must go and get vaccinated. I encourage all Zimbabweans to remain on the lookout as this terrible pandemic is not yet gone and we definitely need to be very careful.”
Close to six million people in the country received their first dose, over 3,7 million received a second jab and over 620 000 have received a booster shot. Meanwhile, the Bulawayo City Council has increased sites for vaccination of the 12 to 15 years age group as the Ministry of Health and Child Care gave a nod to that age group which was not previously permitted to get vaccinated. They have also rolled out vaccination card activation throughout the city.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care, as part of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout effort, created a secure Covid-19 vaccination card which provided for electronic authentication of the vaccination record. The latest Covid-19 vaccination cards are issued with pre-printed QR codes that require activation. In the City of Bulawayo, the QR codes are activated at the following sites: Bulawayo Provincial Medical Directors office Mhlahlandlela Building, City of Bulawayo Health Services Department, Office 215, 2nd Floor Tower Block, Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals, Ingutsheni Central Hospital, Joshua Nkomo Hospital and Mater Dei Hospital,” said Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube in a statement.
Mpilo Central Hospital
He also said all municipal clinics found in the city’s suburbs were also offering the same services. Some of the clinics are Northern Suburbs, Entumbane, Princess Margaret, Mzilikazi, Emakhandeni, Maqhawe, Pumula, Cowdray Park, Njube and Luveve. — @NyembeziMu
