453 days of the COVID-19 Lockdown, and as of 24th of June 2021, the Ministry of Health and Child Care reported that, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases had increased to 44 306 after 826 new cases were reported, 825 local and 1 returnee from South Africa. The highest case tally was recorded in Mashonaland West with 281 cases. Localised lockdown updates are as follows today Kariba (43), Karoi (48), Kwekwe (36) and Chinhoyi (24). The following hotspots updates are as follows; Mashonaland West Province- Chirundu (38), Doro (18) Nyangoma (20), Chidamoyo (15), Kazangare (16), Masvingo Province- Chiredzi (76). In Bulawayo Province- Nkulumane (16), Emakhandeni (11) and Northern Suburbs (36). We note the lack of update for Mash Central.
We note that the Hospitalisation rate as at 15:00hrs on the 23rd of June 2021 were 257 hospitalised cases: 38 New Admissions, 74 asymptomatic cases, 138 mild to moderate cases, 39 severe cases and 9 cases in Intensive Care Units. Active cases go up to 5 073. The total number of recoveries went up to 37 524 increasing by 47 recoveries. The recovery rate goes down further, marginally, from 87% to 85%. A total of 10 526 people received their 1st doses of vaccine. The cumulative number of the 1st dose vaccinated now stands at 715 056. A total of 15 940 recipients received their second dose bringing the cumulative number of 2nd dose recipients to 467 733. The death toll goes up to 1 709 after 17 new deaths were recorded.
Critical emerging issues
Home-based Care
We continue to note that communities have a greater burden of care in responding to COVID-19 patients as opposed to those able to access health care facilities In the context of the community managed COVID-19 patients we continue to raise the point that Zimbabwe’s health response is being led by households providing home based care.
We therefore highlight our concerns on home-based care and lack of the support systems to assist such households.
Given these challenges, we reiterate the need for the Ministry of Health and Child Care to officially communicate and publicize information regarding the state of Isolation centres and hospitals throughout all Provinces and Districts of Zimbabwe as the increased infections are now being recorded across the country.
- We urge Government to introduce and implement measures to support home-based care givers and primary care-givers in order to ease their burden and to minimize further risk of transmission.
- We urge up-scaling efforts on safe community isolation centres which are not overcrowded and which integrate the needs and rights of women such as the availability of sanitary aid and sexual and reproductive health services.
Outstanding issues
Suspension of COVID-19 Welfare Fund
We note with alarm the announcement that Government has discontinued COVID-19 social protection package rollout, when in fact citizens have been demanding an increase in the disbursements. We highlight that this, as a position in principle, is untenable in the midst of the third wave and communities who have been struggling to get back on their feet, after largely unsupported livelihood support to the predominately informal economy operators. We highlight the extreme negative social economic implications of communities in localised lockdowns and in Hotspots who have had to deal with a myriad of challenges in addressing lives and livelihoods in the third wave whilst the nominally ameliorative program is being shut down.
We continue to decry the lack of transparency and openness regarding this Fund. We decry, the fact that to date the Fund failed to meet the target of 1 million people and only supported 300 000 households. Whilst we note the provision that the fund will indeed be considered for the informal sector should another lockdown be put in place,
- We decry the operational and administrative delays that will arise by shutting down the funds whilst the localised downs are in place wherein informal economic players are in need.
Source: Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ)
