PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has implored Zimbabweans to take
maximum precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus by limiting travel and
outdoor activities as the country braces for the introduction of stringent and
disruptive public health safety measures to fight Covid-19.
Two cases of Covid-19 had been recorded in Zimbabwe as of
yesterday afternoon, according to Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah
Moyo.
The first case, announced on Friday night, was of a
Victoria Falls resident who recently returned from Manchester, the United
Kingdom, while a 30-year-old man who visited the United States in February also
tested positive yesterday.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail soon after arriving in
Harare from Windhoek where he attended the inauguration of Namibian President
Hage Geingob yesterday, President Mnangagwa said confirmation of the two cases
obliges the country to adopt stern measures to fight the pandemic.
“We appeal to all Zimbabweans to restrict their movements.
We can only move for essential and critical reasons. Otherwise we recommend
that our communities, both urban and rural, remain where they are and not
travel. The spread of this pandemic is so quick and fast, so we are appealing
to our people to avoid travelling. Let us keep at home and only move either to
buy food or medicines.
“I will discuss with my Minister of Health to hear the
circumstances surrounding these two cases in order to take corrective measures
to contain the spread of Covid-19.”
Some of the stringent measures set to be introduced to combat
Covid-19 include mandatory screening at all public buildings and temporary
closure of overcrowded informal markets.
Government has now directed local authorities to increase
potable water supply, drill additional boreholes and decongest informal and
formal markets.
Also, police are intensifying a clampdown on gatherings of
more than 100 people at public spaces, churches, funerals and recreational
places.
Government is not discounting the possibility of citywide
lockdowns should there be a large-scale localised outbreak.
President Mnangagwa announced the introduction of mandatory
screening at all Government-owned premises while launching Government’s US$26
million Covid-19 National Preparedness and Response Plan on Thursday.
“Our preparedness measures have been stepped up through
heightened surveillance systems at national, provincial and district levels. We
have special focus on all ports of entry throughout the country with mandatory
screening of visitors having already started and all our Government buildings
and infrastructure should be screened with immediate effect,” said President
Mnangagwa.
Announcing the second confirmed case at a press conference
in Harare yesterday afternoon, Dr Moyo said the man was admitted into isolation
at Wilkins Hospital on Friday after exhibiting mild symptoms of Covid-19.
“Today the 21st of March 2020, the national microbiology
reference at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital reported yet another case of
Covid-19, which brings to two the number of Covid-19 cases in Zimbabwe,” he
said.
“This second patient is a 30-year-old male resident of
Harare who had travelled to New York, United States of America, on the 29th of
February 2020 and returned home in Harare on 9 March via Johannesburg.”
The man, said Minister Moyo, was advised by his doctor to
self-isolate at home before the doctor alerted the local Covid-19 Rapid
Response Team which went to assess him.
“Our teams are now engaged in contact tracing and as with
the first case, are being assisted by the patient himself. Once again, we call
upon everyone to remain calm as we manage these confirmed cases of Covid-19 in
Zimbabwe.”
As part of the nationwide response, The Sunday Mail has
gathered that some private companies have begun asking their employees to
either work from home where possible or report for duty in small groups.
According to the national preparedness and response plan,
Government has a plan for four transmission scenarios: the no case scenario;
sporadic cases scenario; cluster of cases scenario and the community
transmission scenario, which is the highest level.
While the no case scenario has already been overtaken by
events — the main aim of this stage was to stop transmission and prevent
spread. During this phase, authorities would among other things prepare to
treat patients, ready hospitals for a potential surge and promote
self-isolation of people with mild respiratory symptoms.
Zimbabwe is now at the sporadic cases scenario — this is
when the country has recorded one or more cases either imported or transmitted
locally.
Here authorities will test all suspected cases and all
contacts of confirmed cases, and at this stage treatment of cases will commence
while self-isolation of suspected cases is heightened.
The third stage, cluster cases scenario, is when the
country has cases of local transmission. Here emergency response mechanisms
will be scaled up, while active case finding is intensified and contact tracing
and monitoring, quarantining of contacts and isolation of cases begins.
Authorities will: “Enhance triage procedures, activate
surge plans for health facilities, designate referral hospitals, defer elective
procedures. Promote self-isolation of people with mild respiratory symptoms to
reduce the burden on health systems,” reads the response plan in part.
The community transmission scenario is when the country
would have large outbreaks and is unable to relate confirmed cases through
chains of transmission for many cases.
At this stage contact tracing is scaled up especially in
newly infected areas. Quarantine of contacts and isolation of cases is enhanced
while symptomatic individuals are urged to apply self-initiated isolation.
Government has already banned gatherings of over 100 people
for the next 60 days, while schools and tertiary institutions will close on
Tuesday.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi said police had begun patrols to discourage large public gatherings.
“We have teams that are patrolling and monitoring the
situation to ensure that there are no gatherings of more than 100 people,” said
Asst Comm Nyathi.
“We are also working with the Ministry of Health and Child
Care as well local authorities in monitoring the situation at funerals,
drinking spots and any other public places.
“We would like to urge members of the public to inform the
police of any gathering of more than 100 people. Members of the public should
understand that the measures have been put in place for their own safety thus
there is a need for them to comply.”
Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister Marian
Chombo said Government has activated all Provincial and District Civil
Protection Committees while provision of potable water is being heightened.
“This requires putting in place a raft of measures which
look at provision of basic municipal services such as water and repairing all
damaged sewer infrastructure,” said Minister Chombo.
“All local authorities have been instructed to make frantic
efforts to improve water supply even if it means drilling more boreholes. At
areas such as Mupedzanhamo where there is overcrowding, ways and means need to
be devised to manage the numbers. The law enforcement agencies must work
together with public vehicle operators to maintain distances.”
Health and Child Care secretary Dr Agnes Mahomva said only
the President can order citywide lockdowns at the professional recommendation
of the Health Ministry.
She said the response plan will continue to be updated as
the situation evolves, drawing from the experiences of other countries fighting
the pandemic.
“That document is a living document. That is version three
from our side. We decided it needed to be launched so that people see it and we
continue updating,” said Dr Mahomva.
“So based on the lessons from China and Europe, we continue
updating on what then needs to happen, it is not a one size fits all. There is
always room for that (a lockdown); we continue looking.
“We are giving the President daily detailed updates. We
prepare written Cabinet memos where those kinds of decisions are made. So it is
not for us to decide on those (decisions). We give the guidance and then that
national decision is made and then we implement.”
Harare City Council acting water director, Engineer
Phakamile Mabhena Moyo, said they are frantically working to improve water
supplies.
“We have challenges with water treatment chemicals but we
are in talks with authorities on how we can deal with that,” he said.
“We are also working on a number of issues such as water
infrastructure so that water production increases soon. We are engaging our
various partners who have assisted during such emergencies as cholera outbreaks
to assist with water tanks to the various hotspots.” Sunday Mail
0 comments:
Post a Comment