Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
MATABELELAND North this week received 15 000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines amid calls by the provincial Covid-19 Taskforce for residents to adhere to lockdown restrictions.
President Mnangagwa recently announced Level 4 lockdown where, among other measures, intercity travel was banned as new cases of the pandemic surged.
On Thursday, the country took delivery of 2 million more vaccines.
Cases have continued to rise and Matabeleland North on Wednesday recorded 139 new cases up from 115 the previous day, and the province has 801 active cases.
Binga, Hwange, Nkayi and Umguza are hotspot districts in the province.
A total of 2 264 new cases were reported nationwide, as the 3rd wave spreads into rural provinces.
However, citizens have continued to ignore the strict lockdown restrictions as they continue to travel or conduct normal business despite the imminent danger of contracting or spreading the disease.
A private primary school, Shalom Kids Learning Centre in Victoria Falls had been conducting lessons until this week when a Chronicle news crew visited the institution.
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo appealed to the police to arrest all citizens, especially pirate commuter operators and travellers who violate lockdown regulations.
He said even accidents can be avoided if people stay at home.
“As Matabeleland North we have been affected by Covid-19 and we encourage people to stay at home. Schools should also desist from doing extra lessons and we hear there is a school in Victoria Falls which has been violating regulations and let me warn them that they may lose the licence.
“There are people who are pirating taking advantage of the absence of intercity buses and we encourage the police to arrest those people.
We wonder how they are passing through roadblocks with people and overloaded for that matter. We had an unfortunate incident in Insuza which claimed lives yesterday and this could have been avoided if people stayed at home and police blocked those vehicles,” he said.
Minister Moyo who chairs the provincial Covid-19 Taskforce encouraged members of the public to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
More than 20 000 people have been vaccinated in Victoria Falls while a similar exercise is earmarked for Hwange.
“People should get vaccinated. Government has given us 15 000 doses this week to add to our stocks and we have asked health officials to start by vaccinating hotspot districts so that we contain the virus,” said Minister Moyo.
He was speaking during a visit to Gwayi-Shangani Dam where Minister for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring the Implementation of Government Programmes Dr Joram Gumbo was touring the dam site.-@ncubeleon
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