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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday extended the enhanced level four national lockdown by a further two weeks following a surge in Covid-19 cases, with Government targeting to vaccinate one million citizens during this period.

The President also revealed that about 80 percent of all new infections being recorded in the country in the past two weeks are due to the Delta variant that originated in India.

By Monday, the country had recorded 70 426 confirmed cases, 46 932 recoveries and 2 236 deaths.

Addressing the nation yesterday, President Mnangagwa said Government has put in place preventive measures in response to the third wave which has persistently continued to surge in the last two weeks.

He said the country will use the extended lockdown to vaccinate a targeted one million people.

The President said mechanisms to enforce the lockdown were being strengthened after the realisation that some members of the public were violating regulations, most of them taking advantage of the night to embark on the banned intercity travel.

“Areas of focus will include enforcement of proper wearing of face masks, sanitising and social distancing, decongestion of all workplaces, controlling number of customers in supermarkets, strict enforcement of the ban of intercity travel and immediate introduction and implementation of deterrent fines and withdrawal of licenses of offenders,” he said.

“The situation has been made worse by loopholes in enforcing lockdown measures and all other recommended prevention measures. For instance, some people beat these measures by travelling at night to evade the ban on intercity travel.”

The President said the nation has resorted to using various methods and approaches to prevent, contain and mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic in line with WHO guidelines.

He said despite the country’s vaccination exercise being one of the best on the African continent, the recent surge in new cases and deaths was a reminder that more still needs to be done.

“Government had anticipated that the lockdown measures would assist in reducing the spread in infections and ultimately to halt this surge. Instead, the current data is indicating a worrisome trend, cases and deaths are continuing to increase at an alarming rate,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Many cases have indeed been recorded. Our vaccination programme for example has remained one of the most successful in Africa.

Unfortunately, the many successes recorded in our Covid-19 responses have not been enough to stem the wave.”

The President said Government had anticipated that the lockdown measures would assist in reducing the spread in infections.

“Instead, the current data are indicating a worrisome trend. Cases and deaths are continuing to increase at an alarming rate,” he said.

The President said some of the factors contributing to the increase in cases include complacency by communities in adhering to preventive measures including the lockdown and basic WHO protocols such as proper wearing of masks, washing of hands and social distancing.

“The highly transmittable Delta variant is now circulating in our communities. Latest genomic sequencing results received last week indicate that approximately 80 percent of the fresh cases in Zimbabwe are now due to the Delta variant that originated in India,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said strengthened enforcement measures will also play a very critical role, with all lockdown measures set to be strengthened and stringently enforced.
He said the pandemic has caused untold devastation throughout the world.

“By Friday, 9 July 2021 over 187 million cumulative cases and just over 4 million cumulative deaths had been recorded globally. Over the past three weeks Africa has seen a sudden surge in cases and deaths with several countries in the southern Africa region experiencing a third wave,” he said.

To date over four million infection cases including over 101 000 deaths have been recorded in Africa with South Africa recording the largest number of both.

“In Zimbabwe by 12 July 2021, the nation had recorded a total of 70 426 cumulative cases and 2 236 since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020,” he said. — @mashnets.