Chronicle Editor
THE easing of Covid-19 lockdown regulations did not mark the end of the pandemic.
Business is open but under strict regulations which must be followed if we are to avoid another lockdown.
Speaking after being vaccinated against Covid-19 at Wilkins Hospital in Harare on Monday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: “The inter-ministerial taskforce on Covid-19 works very closely with experts or advisors who advise us on what is happening on the ground.
These are people who advise the Government before “The reviews are done according to advice coming from those experts who are researching daily. So, when there is a bit of relaxation, we do not need to be complacent. We need to continue adhering to those protocols.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said President Mnangagwa had emphasised that priority would be given to lives with the economy coming later, thus if need arose, restrictions would be tightened to save lives.
“We know that the President reviewed the lockdown measures and there was a bit of relaxation. The President is looking at saving lives and when you are saving lives there is another side where there is the economy which needs to be saved.
“Vaccination does not mean you are immune, therefore you should not be moving around without a mask and not adhering to protocols, all what it means is that it weakens the virus when it gets to you,” she said.
We couldn’t have put it better. The economy matters but we have to be alive for it to tick.
If we all die then there is no economy, no workforce, no customer, no captain of industry.
Covid-19 can only be defeated when all protocols are followed. The vaccine is just a bonus.
The reduction in roadblocks, police patrols and extended operating hours for business have resulted in complacency.
It seems people have forgotten the pain of the lockdown.
In residential areas, parties are the order of the day. Children, and adults alike, are moving around freely without facemasks.
At shopping centres, residents are grouping for drinks and eats.
In town, there is a lot of wondering around. People are passing time through unnecessary travel.
This is exactly how the Covid virus spreads. Staying at home is still necessary, lockdown or no lockdown.
As Minister Mutsvangwa explained, Government will not hesitate to re-introduce tough Covid-19 control measures if non-compliance with regulations becomes rife and risks a spike in new infections.
In fact, the lockdown is a direct result of our failure to follow regulations that are meant to protect our lives and defeat Covid-19.
Through our own actions, we force the hand of the President. We force the hand of the law. And we play to the hands of the pandemic.
As American author Napoleon Hill said: “Understand this law and you will then know, beyond room for the slightest doubt, that you are constantly punishing yourself for every wrong you commit and rewarding yourself for every act of constructive conduct in which you indulge.”
Online Reporter