Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday said the country defied odds by putting together its own resources to purchase Covid-19 vaccines, a development credited for Zimbabwe being one of the five countries in Africa on the way to reaching herd immunity.
The President said this while addressing Zanu-PF supporters after commissioning the US$$1,6 million Kudzanayi Long Distance bus terminus in the city yesterday.
President Mnangagwa said the recent discovery of the Covid-19 Omicron variant has seen a surge in new infections in the country.
Recently, Cabinet declared the Omicron a variant of concern in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
“The discovery of the Omicron variant has seen a spike in new infections in the country. Before the new variant, Covid-19 new infections in the country were going down. This virus had gone down in terms of new infections but there has been a surge following the discovery of Omicron,” he said.
President Mnangagwa urged people not to worry as plans were afoot for people to have booster shots.
A booster shot occurs when a vaccinated individual is further jabbed to increase their immunity.
The country started administering Covid- 19 booster shots to frontline workers, people with chronic diseases, and the elderly from the beginning of this month and now everyone can get the shot.
The President said they had been told by experts in the Ministry of Health and Child Care that the variant is generally mild.
“We should however, stick to the Covid-19 protocols which include wearing of face masks, social distancing and maintain hygiene. I urge all those who are yet to be vaccinated to go out in numbers to go and get the jabs. Over and above, we have the boosters which are available,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said because of sanctions imposed on the country by the US, Britain and their allies, the country had been excluded from Covid-19 financing by global institutions but it has managed to find ways to mitigate against the spread of the virus using local resources.
“As a Government we have sanctions working against us but we sat down to map a way on how to mitigate against the spread of the virus. Other countries received funding from the World Bank and IMF and we didn’t benefit from those institutions.
They (other countries) got billions and we got zero. So, we sat down, agreed that this is our country, whether they like or don’t like us, we had to find means and ways of mitigating against the spread of the virus. We then pooled our own resources together and bought vaccines for our people.
That’s why in Africa we are in the top five in terms of countries that are reaching herd immunity,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said the country has acquired enough Covid-19 vaccines to vaccinate 60 percent of the population to achieve herd immunity.
“We have many doses of vaccines that we bought, even if one wants to get the third and fourth jab, they can go because we have enough vaccines which we bought.
We can vaccinate more than nine million people, actually we can vaccinate up to 12 million people. Everyone must get the vaccine,” said President Mnangagwa.
Online Reporter