Zimbabwe Lockdown: Day 642– WCOZ Situation Report

642 days of the COVID-19 Lockdown, and as of 30th of December 2021, the Ministry of Health and Child Care reported that, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases had increased to 211 728 after 2 073 new cases all local cases, were recorded. The highest case tally was recorded in Manicaland with 300 cases. We note that the Hospitalisation rate data as at 15:00hrs on 29 December 2021, was: 295 hospitalised cases: 44 New Admissions, 66 Asymptomatic cases, 279 mild-to-moderate cases, 45 severe cases and 5 cases in Intensive Care Unit. A total of 6 394 people received their 1st doses of vaccine. The cumulative number of the 1st dose vaccinated now stands at 4 118 635. A total of 8 040 recipients received their second dose bringing the cumulative number of 2nd dose recipients to 3 129 823. A total of 326 people received their 3rd dose of vaccine shots bringing the cumulative for 3rd doses to 4 922. Active cases went down to 28 399. The total number of recoveries went up to 178 332 increasing by 4 416 recoveries. The death toll went up to 4 997 after 30 deaths were recorded.

Critical Emerging Issue

Testing Tracing and Reporting Mechanisms

We highlight gaps in the national Testing, Tracing and reporting system. We highlight the daily reports which present the PCR tests taken at district and main health centres. We note however that community health centres are undertaking rapid antigen tests which are not being reported. This gap in the reporting raises questions on the efficacy of the testing system at community level and further indicates the high levels of households and communities who are having to shoulder the COVID-19 burden without support and excluded from the support systems in place. The disease burden of the COVID-19 pandemic is largely invisible and has continued to leave communities behind. We call for increased vigilance in the testing and tracing of COVID-19.

• We call for the publication of both PCR and antigen test data in the public domain.
• We continue to call for the publication of the sero-prevalence and genomic testing reports from survey recently undertaken but whose reports are outstanding the public domain.

Outstanding Issue

Super Spreader Events During the 2022 Crossover

We continue to note the celebrative mood throughout the country, as the Nation and the world at large prepare to cross over into year 2022. As merry makers celebrate this important event, we urge the highest level of personal responsibility and adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols. We urge an avoidance of super spreader events such as large scale and social and economic activities and gatherings.

We call for an amplification of the COVID-19 Awareness Campaign to ensure that the nation collectively celebrates the festive holidays responsibly with a view to save lives.

We highlight the need to ensure;

• Control of infections at parties and adherence to the curfew
• Respect for the guidelines on numbers of persons gathered at events at a given time.
• Increased police enforcement of the present curfew, sanitization, wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing.

Source: Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe