562 days of the COVID-19 Lockdown, and as of 10th of October 2021, the Ministry of Health and Child Care reported that, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases had increased to 131 875 after 79 new cases all local cases, were recorded. The highest case tally was recorded in Matebeleland North with 15 cases. We note that the Hospitalisation rate as at 15:00hrs on 10 October 2021 was 60 hospitalised cases: 5 New Admissions, 7 Asymptomatic cases, 34 mild-to-moderate cases, 16 severe cases and 3 cases in Intensive Care Units.
Active cases went down to 1 753. The total number of recoveries went up to 125 479 increasing by 251 recoveries. The recovery rate remains at 94%. A total of 5 046 people received their 1st doses of vaccine. The cumulative number of the 1st dose vaccinated now stands at 3 176 744. A total of 8 238 recipients received their second dose bringing the cumulative number of 2nd dose recipients to 2 417 442. The death toll went up to 4 643 after 6 new deaths were recorded.
Critical Emerging Issue
Increased Access to Vaccination Programme for Rural Communities
We amplify calls for direct and deliberate expansion of the vaccine programme to rural and hard to reach communities. We draw attention to the shortages of vaccines at rural health care centres as reported by communities. We note that whilst efforts to ensure that rural health care centres have indeed been supported under the vaccine rollout, progress has been simply too slow and low to make significant impact. We note that this has been exacerbated by the fact that efforts to target rural socio-economic centres and hubs under the vaccine rollout have largely been weak, as raised in detail in prior reports. Furthermore, we highlight the long distances to healthcare centres which is reported by communities as a major hindrance to accessing the vaccines. We accordingly urge government to speedily address such gaps in the rural vaccination programme.
- We amplify our calls for vaccine equity within Zimbabwe.
- We call for prioritisation of rural, peri-urban and hard to reach communities for vaccine accessibility.
- We reiterate our recommendation for the rolling out of mobile vaccine centres to provide direct support to communities.
Outstanding Issues
Monitoring of Variants in Zimbabwe
We note with concern reports indicating potential fourth wave of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe which may be driven by variants of COVID-19. Whilst we are fully aware of the continuing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe in particular travel related containment measures, we continue to seek an update regarding the tracking and tracing of COVID-19 Variants of Concern in circulation in Zimbabwe.
This update remains critical at this time to support the response mechanism of communities and the public to adherence to anti-COVID-19 measures.
We note the concerns of communities to the potential presence of the variants which have been identified in South Africa and also the potential changes in the variants and mutations which were already circulating locally.
- We urge the Ministry of Health and Child Care to update on the current mutations and variants identified and in circulation in Zimbabwe
- We specifically call or for full reporting on Variants of Interest and Variants of Concern tracked and traced locally.
Source: Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe
The post Zimbabwe Lockdown: Day 562 – WCOZ Situation Report appeared first on Kubatana.net.