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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
THE country has recorded a spike in Covid-19 cases in the past week with the Government urging citizens to be extra careful during the festive season.
A total of 211 new cases including six deaths were recorded during the week compared to 203 recorded the previous week.
For the week under review, there were 28 new admissions compared to 30 recorded the previous week.
The country’s cumulative cases since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 stands at 259 770, with 253 672 recoveries and 5 631 cumulative deaths.
Government has said visitors will be subjected to an on-site Covid-19 test if they cannot produce a vaccination card with all three jabs.
In her post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcast Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the small spike in number of new cases and deaths recorded during the past week is of concern and urged the country to remain vigilant.
“A total of 211 new cases including six deaths were recorded during the week, compared to 203 recorded the previous week. For the week under review, there were 28 new admissions compared to 30 recorded the previous week. Cabinet advises that the small spike in the number of new cases and deaths recorded during the week is of concern and calls for the country to remain vigilant,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the recovery rate is 98 percent with 467 active cases.
The Ministry of Health and Childcare is rolling out a vaccination campaign around the country that started on December 1 and ending on December 31 in a bid to strengthen prevention and control measures in the country.
Minister Mutsvangwa said regarding the national vaccination programme, a total of 6 581 530 received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine while 4 949 555 people were administered with second dose, and 1 274 040 received a third dose.
She said as part efforts to protect the nation, the provincial task forces should strengthen the implementation of all Covid-19 public health and social measures with a focus to maximally protect citizens during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“Members of the public who are not vaccinated are encouraged to take advantage of this blitz to get vaccinated. In light of the upcoming festive season, Cabinet resolved on the following strategies in order to ensure that the pandemic is kept under check; that provincial teams strengthen their vaccination programme to protect citizens from severe disease and from death,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Communities and individuals should remain vigilant during this festive season and continue to protect themselves by getting fully vaccinated; washing hands with soap and running water; sanitising hands frequently; maintaining social distancing and avoiding crowded gatherings.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said members of the public should continue to wear face masks properly in public transport vehicles; and indoor gatherings.
She said Cabinet received and approved the Zimbabwe National Broadband Plan (2023–2030), which was presented by Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira in his capacity as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Innovation, Technology Development and Application.
Minister Mutsvangwa said studies by the World Bank have revealed that in low and middle-income economies, every 10-percentage increase in broadband penetration accelerates economic growth by 1,38 percentage points, and the Second Republic is determined to ensure that no one and no place is left behind.
“The Zimbabwe National Broadband Plan is a nationwide initiative to provide access to and adoption of broadband services at Government, business, household and individual levels, with the aim of transforming Zimbabwe’s growth trajectory from being largely driven by exploitation of natural resources to innovation-driven growth,” she said.
“The vision of the plan is to have ‘an all-inclusive digital society powered by premier innovations by 2030.’ The plan aims at developing various incentives to reduce the cost of broadband access to two percent of the average monthly income, from the current 10,1 percent and widening the community access.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said in order to implement the broadband plan a committee will be set up to provide periodic evaluation of progress, facilitate coordination and collaboration as well as highlight areas of programme adjustment
“The nation is being further informed that the plan has identified a number of key broadband projects to be implemented,” she said.
Government will take the leading role in raising funding for broadband deployment while private investors will be expected to raise funding for the plan as well through sources available to them.
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