Last Friday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared
that Covid-19 was no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
However, WHO also urged nations to remain alert as the
pandemic was not yet over.
In light of the development, Zimbabwe will maintain
Covid-19 prevention measures that are under implementation.
National Covid-19 taskforce co-ordinator Dr Agnes Mahomva
said to protect citizens from the pandemic it is still highly recommended for
members of the public to mask up, especially in poorly ventilated areas.
“Cabinet specifically dropped mandatory wearing of face
masks but specifically recommended that we must still wear face masks if we are
in a place that is at high risk of spreading Covid-19. That is what Zimbabwe is
doing and in line with the recommendations of WHO and in line with what we have
learnt in the country,” said Dr Mahomva.
“We must remain vigilant. Cabinet removed the mandatory
aspect but strongly recommended that if you are at high risk, if you are in a
crowded space, if you are in a poorly ventilated place, it recommends that you
wear your masks in line with the new normal.”
She said the country has institutionalised some of the best
practices that protected people from the pandemic.
Dr Mahomva said
these include washing of hands with running water and soap all the time,
wearing face masks in crowded places, poorly ventilated places and also
sticking to Cabinet resolutions.
“WHO announced that Covid-19 is no longer a public
emergency but if you go on the same statement, they go on to specifically urge
countries to remain vigilant as Covid-19 is not yet over.
Based on that, nations should remain vigilant and being
vigilant in line with what we have seen and based on our experiences is
adopting a new normal. New normal means we are not going back where we were
before Covid-19,” said Dr Mahomva.
Some entities including Government offices, financial
institutions, schools among other organisations still demand that people wear
face masks.
Dr Mahomva said Government will also continue to support
schools to ensure that they remain safe especially going into winter, a period
when the incidence of respiratory diseases often increases.
“A new normal means institutionalising those best practices
that we have been doing and successes that we have recommended and making sure
that we remain vigilant,” she said.
“Government continues to support schools to make sure that
they have access to water, to make sure there is no crowding, they practice
social distancing and those are the practices. And we know even before Covid-19
when you go into winter pay attention especially in places where someone has a
common cold because you’ll never know what it is. That is the kind of thing
that is the new normal. We are not going back where we were before Covid-19.”
Primary and Secondary Education communications and advocacy
director Mr Taungana Ndoro said the ministry will maintain standard operating
procedures (SOPs) introduced at the peak of Covid-19 including wearing of masks
and social distancing.
Mr Ndoro said SOPs make schools safe.
“They don’t protect our pupils from Covid 19 only but many
other communicable diseases such as cholera, typhoid, flues and any other
diseases,” said Mr Ndoro.
“They also help us in terms of health and hygiene, washing
of hands, cleanliness, social distancing, it has taught us a lot and there is
no way we are going to discard that. It is to our advantage whether there is an
outbreak we will able to contain it because we have the SOPs. If it’s flu, it’s
a bug it won’t spread because we have these standard operating procedures. So,
this is why we will continue to maintain them.”
The education sector was one of the worst affected by
Covid-19 following the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 which resulted in
schools closing for prolonged periods.
Prominent Bulawayo medical doctor and lecturer Professor
Solwayo Ngwenya said in view of the latest pronouncement, it is key that the
public understand that WHO still regards Covid-19 as a public threat and the
public should guard against complacency.
“This statement from WHO must not distract us in Zimbabwe
in general, and Africa in particular since the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic
still remains as mentioned in that same statement. This is particularly
important as pandemic history tells us that the severe danger lies in the end
when there is widespread complacency,” said Prof Ngwenya.
He said it is more critical to be vigilant as the country
is entering the cold winter season.
Prof Ngwenya said it will be critical for schools to
continue masking up.
“It is particularly important in our setting during the
cold season when viruses spread easily among close contact groups such as
schoolchildren, that the wearing of face masks must be maintained to which
failure could lead to widespread mass infections that may cause serious
problems for us as a country,” said Prof Ngwenya.
“The message to the general public is that we have gotten
this far by observing Covid 19 protocols, let us maintain the same so that
together we can survive the pandemic. There may be very grave problems ahead
during this winter.”
Legal expert and former Zimbabwe Lawyers Association
president Mr Wellington Magaya said Government should improve communication
regarding wearing of masks in public buildings.
He said the public can take legal recourse if institutions
continue to demand that they wear masks in public buildings, although it will
be costly than just buying a mask.
“The Government needs to communicate properly and
effectively to everyone about the removal of mandatory wearing of face masks in
public buildings. I don’t think the revision of the regulations was adequately
communicated to everyone. This is the reason why some institutions are still
insisting on the wearing of mask,” said Mr Magaya.
“That having been said no one can force or compel anyone to
mask in a public building and what anyone who is affected by that can do is
refuse to comply with that instruction or order because it is unlawful. But if
the person controlling access to building refuses, the only remedy is going to
court but that may not be practical because you can approach the court on an urgent
basis after three to four days. Practically it may not be the best way to do
it, it costs money if it is just about accessing a building. It will be cost
effective to just buy a mask and take it off as soon as you leave.”
Regarding schools sticking to wearing of masks, the lawyer
said it could be the best decision considering the country’s Covid-19 journey.
He however said parents and guardians who feel aggrieved
over the issue can also approach the courts to seek recourse. Herald
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