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Beitbridge Bureau
A total of 34 060 people in Matabeleland South have been vaccinated since the beginning of the Covid-19 national vaccination programme in March.
The province has a large group of high priority people with five border posts — four of them (Plumtree, Mlambaphele, Mpoengs and Maitengwe) with Botswana and Beitbridge with South Africa.
The main focus has been on the busiest two, Beitbridge with seven million entries and exits in a normal year and Plumtree with three million .
The provincial epidemiology and disease control officer, Dr Andrew Felix Muza, said they were targeting to immunise 8 000 people in Mangwe (Plumtree) and 26 000 in Beitbridge.
He said the daily uptake was growing each day in most areas across the province.
As of week 25, we had vaccinated 8 451 people in Beitbridge and 3 333 in Mangwe with the first dose,” said Dr Muza.
The uptake is increasing daily and we hope to immunise many people as more vaccines become available.
Other centres have not been left out with Bulilima having 2 362, Gwanda 4 845, Insiza 3 646, Matobo 7 262, and Uzingwane 4 161.
Chief Director in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Maxwell Hove recently said border towns were among the high-risk areas for new Covid-19 infections because of the prevalence of cross-border related businesses.
Immunising those in such areas, would help protect the communities and also open up economic activities in such towns.
According to the Ministry’s Covid-19 update report for the period June 26 to July 2, Beitbridge district recorded a total of 59 new infections and one death.
“During the past week, the district recorded 59 new cases (52 local and 7 imported) of which Covid19 is almost a double-figure comparing to the previous weeks,” read part of the report.
“Beitbridge urban recorded the highest number of cases (54) and the remaining five cases were recorded at Langeni, Mugaladivha, Chamnangana, Lutumba, and Kleinbenjin Village 11.”
Online Reporter