admin
Fellow Zimbabweans, today I update you on the current state of the national Covid-19 pandemic, with a focus on key measures that Government is putting in place to strengthen our response to the third wave which has persistently continued to surge in the last two weeks.
The pandemic has caused untold devastation throughout the world. By Friday 9 July 2021, over 187 million cumulative cases, and just over 4 million cumulative deaths, had been recorded globally.
Over the past three weeks, Africa has seen a sudden surge in cases and deaths, with several countries in the Southern Africa region experiencing a third wave.
To date, over four million infection cases, including over 101 000 deaths, have been recorded in Africa, with South Africa recording the largest numbers of both.
In Zimbabwe, by 12th July 2021, the nation had recorded a total of 70 426 cumulative cases, and 1 236 cumulative deaths, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The nation has resorted to using various methods and approaches to prevent, contain and mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic, in line with WHO guidelines.
Many successes have indeed been recorded. Our vaccination programme, for example, has remained one of the most successful in Africa.
Unfortunately, the many successes recorded in our Covid-19 responses have not been enough to stem the wave.
The recent surge in cases and deaths is a reminder that we need to do more.
Government had anticipated that the lockdown measures would assist in reducing the spread in infections, and ultimately to halt this surge. Instead, the current data are indicating a worrisome trend. Cases and deaths are continuing to increase at an alarming rate. A quick assessment on the ground points to a number of factors contributing to this surge:
First, complacency by communities in adhering to prevention measures, including the lockdown and basic WHO protocols such as proper wearing of masks, washing of hands and social distancing.
Second, the highly transmissible Delta variant is now circulating in our communities. Latest genomic sequencing results received last week indicate that approximately 80 percent of the fresh cases in Zimbabwe are now due to the Delta variant that originated in India.
Third, the situation has been made worse by loopholes in enforcing lockdown measures and all other recommended prevention measures.
For instance, some people deliberately beat these measures by travelling at night, to evade the ban on intercity travel.
Fourth and finally, whilst our vaccination programme has done very well, the nation still has a long way to go to reach herd immunity.
The vaccination deployment strategy needs to be implemented rapidly in order to provide protection to the population from the type of variant and the wave the nation is currently experiencing.
In view of these critical issues, I am, with immediate effect, extending the current Level 4 lockdown by another two weeks.
The plan to maintain the current Level 4 will make it possible for the immediate acceleration of the vaccination programme throughout the country.
The programme will now be taken to communities, making vaccination easily accessible to those seeking this essential service. The additional 2 million vaccine doses that were received this past week are enough to vaccinate a million people, with each receiving the recommended two doses.
The plan is to immediately vaccinate this targeted one million people during this extended two-week Level 4 lockdown period.
Whilst vaccination roll-out is key during this two-week lockdown extension and beyond, strengthened enforcement of all lockdown measures is going to play a very critical role.
All lockdown measures will therefore, be stringently enforced. Areas of focus will include, but will not be limited to, the following:
Enforcement of proper wearing of face masks, sanitising and social distancing;
Decongestion of all work places;
Controlling the number of customers in supermarkets and other trading areas;
Strict enforcement of the ban on intercity travel and,
Immediate introduction and implementation of deterrent fines and withdrawal of licences of offenders.
As already stated, the country has made a lot of progress in the fight against Covid-19.
We however, need to continue strengthening our implementation, and ensure that all prevention measures, including lockdown measures, are strictly adhered to. Let us continue to social distance, wash our hands with soap under running water, and avoid all gatherings.
God bless Zimbabwe.
I thank you.
Online Reporter