GOVERNMENT will not hesitate to re-introduce tough Covid-19 control measures if non-compliance with regulations becomes rife and risks a spike in new infections.
Speaking after being vaccinated against the virus at
Wilkins Hospital in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting
Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the easing of Covid-19 lockdown
measures should not be mistaken for a total victory against the global pandemic
as it continued to be a dangerous threat.
Government would clamp down on some social liberties and
economic activities to save lives if the need arose.
Complacency has been creeping into society, with people
disregarding Covid-19 mitigatory protocols after President Mnangagwa announced
new measures allowing people to have more social contact as part of the
delicate process to return to normal life.
Despite spirited campaigns by authorities to discourage
irresponsible behaviour, people continue flouting recommended measures leading
to thousands of arrests.
Health experts are warning, and have been advising
authorities that a third wave of infections is likely if people stop adhering
to laid down protocols.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Government was following science
as well as the submissions of experts. “The inter-ministerial taskforce on
Covid-19 works very closely with experts or advisors who advise us on what is
happening on the ground. These are people who advise the Government before any
review or relaxation is made.
“The reviews are done according to advice coming from those
experts who are researching daily. So when there is a bit of relaxation, we do
not need to be complacent. We need to continue adhering to those protocols,”
she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa emphasised that Zimbabwe had not won
the fight against the global pandemic and there was need to continue following
the laid down protocols.
She said President Mnangagwa had emphasised that priority
would be given to lives with the economy coming later, thus if need arose,
restrictions would be tightened to save lives.
“We know that the President reviewed the lockdown measures
and there was a bit of relaxation. The President is looking at saving lives and
when you are saving lives there is another side where there is the economy
which needs to be saved.
“Vaccination does not mean you are immune, therefore you
should not be moving around without a mask and not adhering to protocols, all
what it means is that it weakens the virus when it gets to you.”
Zimbabwe yesterday joined the rest of the world in
commemorating International Women’s Day and Minister Mutsvangwa said accepting
the vaccine was her way of remembering the day for women.
She encouraged other women to get vaccinated and help the
country achieve herd immunity which would boost the country’s quest to win the
war against the pandemic.
“We should not be complacent. To the women of Zimbabwe, let
us come together, let us be vaccinated. We need to have that herd immunity so
that our economies go back to normal.”
An expert in the Ministry of Health and Child Care who is
part of the advisory team, Dr Raiva Simbi said generally people had been
following protocols but urged more vigilance and improved hygiene.
Dr Simbi said they would always base their recommendations
on facts on the ground and would urge leaders to tighten restrictions if cases
started rising.
“We have not won the fight against Covid-19 and a few
people are becoming complacent, but the majority are still complying with the
regulations which is encouraging.
“If cases start rising, we will recommend tightening of
some restrictions to save lives so at this point we urge people to adhere to
regulations and these include social distancing, masking up and just general
hygiene,” he said.
He urged people to be vaccinated which he said was an
effective way to control such viruses since time immemorial. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment