Include community leaders in Covid-19 fight: Min Mutsvangwa

Mutare Bureau
INFORMATION, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has implored the Manicaland provincial Covid-19 taskforce to embrace community leaders, including religious and traditional figures, in the fight against the coronavirus.

In her briefing during a meeting of the provincial inter-ministerial taskforce on Covid-19 at Mutare Hall on Saturday, Minister Mutsvangwa said community leaders can help encourage people to get vaccinated.

“Manicaland has many new admissions to date and cases are rising daily. The third wave is more serious than ever and we need to intensify our campaigns and this can only be done via community leaders who include traditional and religious leaders. This is no time to relax, we need everyone on board,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said from this week, the country will witness a vaccination blitz to cover hotspots such as border towns, markets, construction sites and other places.

“We want to include tobacco auction floors, cotton marketing depos and major construction sites during the vaccination blitz. Essentially, everyone will be covered during the blitz so that we can reach our target to attain head immunity in no time.”

Addressing the taskforce, Manicaland provincial medical director Dr Simon Nyadundu said since the beginning of the third wave, 12 deaths have been recorded in the province.

“Five of our patients who died were diabetic and all 12 had not been vaccinated. The pandemic is quickly spreading and we need to achieve the herd immunity as soon as possible as the disease is not sparing anyone.

“Covid-19 is moving in a faster rate than before in Manicaland. On Friday alone we had 104 people who tested positive and the bulk of them are from Buhera and Mutare urban districts. The age group that is most affected is 31-40. In the past seven days, we have been having an average of 46 positive cases a day,” he said.

Dr Nyadundu said the six hotspots in the province are Mutare Urban, Nyanga Urban, Chimanimani Urban, Birchenough Bridge, Nyanyadzi and Mutare district.