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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

THE Covid-19 vaccination programme has been extended to legislators after Parliament was allocated vaccine doses on Wednesday.

Government launched the national Covid-19 vaccination programme on Thursday last week after receiving 200 000 vaccine doses from China on Monday of the same week.

The vaccination programme is targeting frontline workers in the health sector, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) personnel, Customs and Immigration employees, journalists and those in the security sector who are being vaccinated under phase one of the programme.

A total of 7 872 frontline workers had taken Covid-19 jabs since the roll out of the nationwide programme on Monday.

Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda told National Assembly members on Wednesday that Parliament had secured Covid-19 vaccines for legislators and encouraged them to take the jab.

The country has 350 Members of Parliament including 270 House of Assembly members and 80 senators.

“I wish to inform the House that Parliament has secured vaccines against Covid-19 for all Members of Parliament as advised by the Hon. President and Minister of Health and Child Care.  The vaccination exercise will be on a voluntary basis.  The process will commence today, 24 February, 2021 at Parliament,” said Adv Mudenda.

“For a start, the teams will be here today and tomorrow and thereafter, Members will be advised accordingly.  Hon. Members are advised to come through the Third Street entrance in the car park and will be admitted one at a time.  Please note that the exercise is slightly slow, so Hon. Members should be patient.  The vaccination will be done on a phased approach until all members interested are vaccinated.”

Members of the public have been urged to take the Covid-19 jab as it reduces chances of them being infected by the virus or suffering severe symptoms in case one contracts the virus.

President Mnangagwa said inoculating the public against Covid-19 is the only way that the country would return to normalcy.

Government has set aside US$100 million for the vaccination programme as the country targets to inoculate 60 percent of the population to achieve herd immunity.

-@nqotshili