Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has warned against complacency in the fight against COVID-19 despite the country recording a decline in deaths and new infections.
Addressing guests at the official opening of the new Kwekwe Infectious Diseases Hospital yesterday, Chiwenga who is also the Health and Child Care Minister said despite a marked decline in COVID-19 deaths, some people were still resisting the vaccine.
“I am glad that there has been a marked decline in the morbidity and mortality due to Covid-19. However, we should be cognizant of the fact that the pandemic remains a major public health concern, hence the need for strengthening of our preparedness and response strategies.
“It is disturbing however, to note that there are some people who are refusing to be vaccinated and have taken Government to court against the vaccination programme. While people have their individual rights and freedoms, those rights can be limited in the interest of public health such as the Covid-19 pandemic which is ravaging the whole world,” said Chiwenga.
He urged the public to get vaccinated.
“Areas like Kwekwe which is not only an industrial hub but also a mining hub, should thrive to get its people vaccinated to attain herd immunity as it goes on to develop not only for the area but the nation at large. I am glad that Victoria Falls reacted positively and they have since attained 100percent immunity but in Kwekwe you have a 31 percent vaccination rate, which is very worrying,” he said.
Chiwenga said the government had employed various strategies to minimize the loss of life due to the pandemic.
“Other than the construction and upgrading of the isolation disease hospitals like the one we are commissioning today, we have also rolled out other strategies to combat Covid-19 which include incentivizing health workers, establishment of a National Covid-19 taskforce, provision of vaccines, provision of medicines and personal protective equipment and ensuring that national as well as World Health Organisation Covid-19 protocols are adhered to,” he said.
Chiwenga said the strategies have since yielded results as COVID-19 deaths had gone down.
Cumulatively, Zimbabwe has recorded a total of 131 129 cases, 123 787 recoveries and 4 627 deaths as at October3 2010.
