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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has put in place the necessary precautionary measures to curb the recurrence of a spike in Covid-19 during the Easter holiday with security agencies out in full force to ensure that citizens comply with the lockdown regulations.

During the festive season the country recorded a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases with 1 342 cases and 29 deaths being reported in a week, marking the highest number of infections and deaths to be ever recorded since March last year.

After a week into the new year, the country recorded 34 deaths in one single day on January 5.

The number of deaths reached 500 on January 10 and two weeks later they had doubled to 1 005.

Speaking during a question-and-answer session in the Senate last Thursday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said Government has put mechanisms in place to ensure that people adhere to the preventative measures in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols.

“In terms of protocols put together for the prevention and precautionary measures to avoid virus, Government would not leave any stone unturned, in terms of making sure that our people adhere to those measures. We know as a nation that we had a tragedy in January and certainly, the Government is doing all it can to make sure that we avoid a recurrence of December upsurge, if ever there is another third wave,” she said.

“A lot of efforts have been put in terms of making sure that people adhere to the precautionary and preventative measures which have been put in place by Government and also by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”

Minister Mutsvangwa said security agencies are on high alert to make sure that there will not be any gatherings exceeding the 50 people in line with the review of lockdown regulations recently announced by President Mnangagwa.

“If it is a church gathering, they should not be more than 50. There will be security agencies to make sure that people actually comply. The issue of compliance has been a serious problem and as the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, we have also upped our game,” she said.

The Minister said outdoor there would be Government vehicles moving around in all the high-density areas and provinces to make sure that people comply with the protocols of Covid-19.

“The borders, as you are aware are still not open to everybody, except for Zimbabwe returnees because we cannot really say to a Zimbabwean that you cannot come back to your country. Certainly, all the security agents will be out on full force to make sure that people are adhering to the precautionary and preventative measures which have been put in place by Government and World Health Organisation,” she said.

“In churches we are allowing gatherings of up to 50; it calls for social distancing, washing hands and sanitisation even at funerals. So, we are saying to the people of Zimbabwe let us continue to adhere to these Covid-19 protocols, this will save our lives and our loved ones.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said the country will be able to contain the pandemic following the roll out of vaccination programme.

“So, a lot of work through the inter-ministerial task force on Covid-19 is being done and to make sure that our security forces the police and everyone else will be actually out there to make sure that people comply,” she said. — @mashnets