Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
ZIMBABWE has marked a major milestone in response to Covid-19 as the country has vaccinated more than one million people.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care daily vaccination update, by Thursday afternoon, 1 036 252 people had received their first dose while 630 610 had received their second dose.
Government is rolling out a mass vaccination exercise, which is free and voluntary with the aim to reach 10 million citizens to achieve herd immunity.
“To date a total of 1 036 252 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19. A total of 47 507 people received their first dose today bringing cumulative for first dose to 1 036 252 while 5 716 received their second dose bringing cumulative for second dose to 630 610 as at 1600hrs.
As at 15 July Zimbabwe had recorded 78 872 confirmed cases, including 49 774 recoveries and 2 418 deaths,” the Ministry of Health said.
President Mnangagwa in a twitter message yesterday expressed gratitude towards health personnel for making this achievement a reality.
“One million Zimbabweans have now received their first Covid-19 jab. Thank you to all the doctors, nurses and health officials who have made this possible. You are true Zimbabwean heroes,” he said.
In another twitter message on Tuesday, the President said the country was now vaccinating people at a rate of 40 000 doses per day. He urged Zimbabweans to get vaccinated in order to keep the country safe and help revive the economy.
Speaking last week after receiving two million doses of Sinovac vaccines, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube said the vaccination exercise was key in the recovery of the economy.
“We can now move full throttle in terms of the blitz vaccination programme that has been rolled out by Government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care. Colleagues, the vaccination isn’t just about saving lives but also about saving the economy because when people have been vaccinated its easier for Government to open up all aspects of the economy, so it’s also about economic recovery,” said the Minister Ncube.
He said Government was determined to reach the herd immunity target of 60 percent of the population.
“We are really going all out on this blitz programme until the end of the year,” said Prof Ncube.
In Bulawayo there is an overwhelming response from residents as they thronged various designated sites to get inoculated since Government started rolling out the mass vaccination exercise. All adults above the age of 18 are eligible for vaccination.
The metropolitan province is targeting to inoculate 400 000 residents to achieve herd immunity.
Some of the clinical districts in Bulawayo, which include Nkulumane, Emakhandeni and northern suburbs have been classified as hotspots.
Suburbs covered by the Nkulumane clinical district include Nkulumane, Pelandaba, Sizinda, Nketa, Emganwini and Barham Green.
Emakhandeni clinical district covers Cowdray Park, Njube, Luveve, Magwegwe, Pumula and Emakhandeni suburbs.
The northern suburbs include Mpopoma, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja, Makokoba and the city centre. —DubeMatutu
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