Bindura Prison reported 41 cases and 19 at Mt Darwin
Prison. This emerged at an emergency Covid-19 meeting held at Bindura Hospital,
and the provincial taskforce team made arrangements to assess the situation at
the two prisons.
Provincial medical director, Dr Clemence Tshuma, said Mt
Darwin had been a Covid-19 hotspot in the last few weeks. Staff and inmates at
the prison are yet to be vaccinated but Dr Tshuma said they would be
prioritised soon.
“About 15 percent of people in the province have been
vaccinated during the second phase while 30 percent were vaccinated during the
first phase,” said Dr Tshuma.
“Those vaccinated but testing positive to Covid-19 are
showing mild or no symptoms of the disease, an indication that the vaccine
works. “We need to encourage people to
get vaccinated.”
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution,
Monica Mavhunga, said complacency was the main driver of the surge in Covid-19
cases. She said districts in border
areas, including Kanyemba in Mbire, were vulnerable. Kanyemba shares a border
with Zambia, which is presently battling Covid-19 a resurgence in cases.
Some communities in Kanyemba seek medical services and
shopping in Luangwa district of Zambia.
Minister Mavhunga implored the provincial Covid-19
taskforce to go out of their way to raise awareness in communities close to
borders. “Extreme caution must be taken at Bindura and Mvurwi auction floors to
protect our farmers.
“Use traditional leaders and political structures to raise
awareness and ensure people are on guard. Security forces must increase
enforcement of regulations,” she said.
Assistant Inspector Ngonidzashe Hove told the meeting that
police are intensifying surveillance, patrols and roadblocks.
“We are having patrols at Kitsiyatota and Jumbo mine to
clear the places of scores of illegal miners. Soon we will patrol along Mazowe
River up to Mukaradzi and Mt Darwin,” he said. Herald
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