Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, [email protected]
A TOTAL of two deaths and 82 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Zimbabwe during the past five days with fresh warnings that the disease which has been under control can easily creep back into communities following the onset of winter season.
One of the recorded deaths from Bulawayo is that of a one-month-old baby while the other one was recorded from Mashonaland West.
Statistics from the Covid-19 situational report generated by the Ministry of Health and Child Care show that on Friday, 16 cases were recorded and they went down to 15 the following day.
On Sunday eight new cases were recorded, they shot up to 20 on Monday before further rising to 23 as of yesterday.
Active cases stand at 234 while the national recovery rate stands at 98 percent.
Since the first cases were recorded in March 2020, Zimbabwe has recorded a total of 265 074 Covid-19 cases including 259 145 recoveries and 5 695 deaths.
In his post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said Government expected everyone who has not been vaccinated against Covid-19 to do so.
“The nation is being informed that the cumulative Covid-19 cases as of 30 May 2023 stood at 265 031, with 259 128 recoveries and 5 694 deaths. There were 209 active cases. Two deaths were recorded during the week under review. There were 11 new admissions, compared to the 13 recorded the previous week, with four being in intensive care,” said Dr Muswere.
“Regarding the national vaccination programme, a total of 7 317 020 first doses, of the Covid-19 vaccine, 5 477 550 second doses and 2 114 097 third doses respectively have so far been administered. The Cabinet is urging all those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so.”
The situational report shows that so far 65,1 percent of the targeted 11 239 749 citizens have received their first dose of the vaccine while 46,7 percent have received the second. As of Tuesday, 18,8 percent of the target population had received the third dose.
The World Health Organization last month declared that Covid-19 was now an established and ongoing health issue that no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern although the risk assessment remains high.
WHO stated that there is evidence of reducing risks to human health driven mainly by high population-level immunity from infection, vaccination, or both.
Professor Solwayo Ngwenya, a local medical doctor, said Zimbabwe had done so well in containing the disease but with complacency during the cold season, the cases could easily increase.
He said people should remain vigilant in protecting themselves and their communities by practicing preventative measures and getting vaccinated as Government has provided Covid-19 measures.
Online Reporter