469 days of the COVID-19 Lockdown, and as of10th of July 2021, the Ministry of Health and Child Care reported that, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases had increased to 66 853 after 1 787 new cases all local cases. The highest case tally was recorded in Mashonaland West at 584 cases. The hotspots updates are as follows; Mashonaland West Province- Kariba (15), Karoi (22), Chinhoyi (110) Chidamoyo (14) Chegutu (192), Mashonaland Central –Centenary (57) and Bindura (57). Matebeleland South Province-Plumtree (23), Gwanda (17). Mashonaland East-Seke (55), Chikomba (30), Goromonzi (105). Masvingo Province – Chiredzi (38), Zaka (12). Midlands Province – Kwekwe (10). Bulawayo Province – Nkulumane (26), Emakhandeni (38) and Northern Suburbs (96), Harare Province (326).
We note that the Hospitalisation rate as at 15:00hrs on the 9th of the July 2021 was 672 hospitalised cases: 117 New Admissions, 143 Asymptomatic cases, 433 mild to moderate cases, 63 severe cases and 33 cases in Intensive Care Units.
Active cases went up to 20 147. The total number of recoveries went up to 44 021 increasing by 1 166 recoveries. The recovery rate goes down, further to 67% from 68%. A total of 11 437 people received their 1st doses of vaccine. The cumulative number of the 1st dose vaccinated now stands at 886 619. A total of 1 688 recipients received their second dose bringing the cumulative number of 2nd dose recipients to 590 501. The death toll went up to 2 126 after 42 new deaths were recorded.
We commend the high levels of testing undertaken with well over ten thousand persons tested in a 24hour period. We urge the sustained support to testing and tracing teams on the ground as they engage communities in seeking out trace outbreaks. We pray for increased support and employment of social welfare officers to provide counselling and support to households and communities in distress.
Critical emerging issues
Shortages of PPE
We highlight that PPE as well as a host of other measures as advised by the WHO are critical in protecting the health sector to ensure that when the surge arises, the capacity of the health sector to respond is at its maximum capacity.
- We urge Government to value and promote the safety of frontline workers by minimizing their risk of exposure to the virus.
- We further reiterate the need to escalate procurement processes of PPE for frontline workers.
- We continue to call for the publication of the distribution matrix of critical health supplies by province, to be published as a standard good governance practise in the time of the global pandemic and national emergency.
- We continue to urge for the greatest transparency in COVID-19 supplies’ procurement and distribution.
Outstanding issues
Laxity in terms of night curfew
We are concerned by community reports that indicate laxity in both adherence to and enforcement of the night curfew. We are concerned by night revellers and those who are holding social gatherings at home and at community spaces, with yet others hosting those gatherings in clusters of parked vehicles at night without any constraints. We are exceedingly concerned on the implications of infection control as social activities of this nature are potential super spreaders. We note that most of these individuals are usually engaged in eating and drinking in communal settings without social distancing, in close confines posing high risks of infection as masks are rarely worn.
- We therefore reiterate the call for behavioural change and vigilance by communities and encourage the highest levels of personal responsibility to ensure reduced potential of exposure to infections.
- We urge increased community policing in community spaces and residential centres as ad hoc recreational night spots are on the rise, undermining all public health efforts.
Source: Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ)
