The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
GOVERNMENT has set 14 July as the deadline for the vaccination of frontline workers, with those that contract Covid-19 without receiving their jabs after that date, deemed not eligible for the Covid-19 health insurance payouts.
The latest ultimatum comes after the revelation that as much as 20 percent of frontline workers are still not vaccinated, despite the fact that they were pushed ahead of the queue when the vaccination drive started.
At the beginning of the year, the Government promised that civil servants who contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty would receive health insurance cover ranging from US$650 to US$1 000 paid in local currency at the prevailing official exchange rate.
Speaking at a post cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the new decree came about after the realisation that a significant number of frontline workers were still not vaccinated.
“Noting that the frontline staff were given opportunity to vaccinate ahead of others, the nation is advised that a considerable number of frontline workers (20%) have still not presented themselves for vaccination. Given the risk this poses not only to other workers but also to patients, Cabinet has set 14 July 2021 as the deadline for the vaccination of the frontline workers. After this date those who would not have been vaccinated will not receive COVID-19 insurance payouts. For the avoidance of doubt, those vaccinated staff members who test positive will, however, still be eligible for the COVID-19 insurance pay out,” she said.
Meanwhile, Minister Mutsvangwa said the number of hospitalisations in the country’s health institutions had increased.
“Under Case Management Infection, Prevention and Control, the nation is informed that hospital admissions due to COVID-19 have increased. As of 27 June 2021, there were 353 hospitalised COVID-19 positive cases, of which 40 were new admissions, 97 were asymptomatic, 209 were mild to moderate 44 severe and 3 were in the intensive care unit,” she said.
