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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief

THE uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in the Midlands province is high amid indications that over 145 000 people had been inoculated with the first and second doses as of Monday.

The Midlands province has eight administrative districts which are Chirumhanzu, Gokwe North and South, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mberengwa, Shurugwi and Zvishavane.

“Cumulatively, 89 536 people received the first dose and 55 988 received the second dose (Sinopharm, Sinovac, Covaxine) in the province, taking the total to 145 524. The general uptake of the vaccines is high in the province,” said the acting Provincial Medical Director Mr Reginald Mhene.

Dr Mhene said the province has intensified its vaccination programme.

Council clinics and private hospitals are also taking part in the inoculation programme as Government works on bringing the vaccines to the door steps of the people who are willing to receive the first and second jabs.

Midlands has in recent weeks recorded a spike in Covid-19 infections and the government last Thursday declared Gweru City a Covid-19 hotspot.

Dr Mhene said the vaccination programme had to be pushed into rural areas where a significant number of new cases have been recorded especially at the two extremes of Gokwe North and Mberengwa.

“We are going to concentrate on the hotspots so that we curtail the spread of this pandemic. We want all our clinics to have the vaccines so we decongest main centres. We have noted that the situation on the ground now requires us to up our game, he said.

Dr Mhene said with more vaccines being delivered, more people were going to receive the first and second jabs.

“As I said, the uptake of the vaccines is high in the province and that will result in some queues here and there but that is being addressed,” he said.