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Angela Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
ZIMBABWE is slowly moving into winter and members of the public have been urged to remain vigilant to avoid an upsurge in Covid-19 cases during the cold season.

Many Covid-19-related deaths were recorded during the winter season since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

Covid-19 cases have remained low this year, with the recovery rate steady at 97 percent since the beginning of this month.

On Tuesday, the country recorded 39 new cases, bringing the total to 247 336 confirmed cases in the country, including 241 160 recoveries.

There were two deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 5 466.

The Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) advised members of the public to pay attention to daily weather updates, saying the country is still transitioning from summer to winter and the weather is likely to revolve between dry and wet coldness.

MSD head of forecasting Mr James Ngoma said the severity of coldness is not yet ascertained, but the country will continue getting light showers that will usher in coldness.

“Our projections towards winter will get cold, but we are not expecting any extreme coldness yet. But we will continue advising members of the public. We are in the transition period between summer and winter where we are expecting wet spells coupled with cold spells.

“Because of these variations between the wet and cold spells, we advise the general public to take heed of weather forecasts that we give on a daily basis so that they know when to carry an umbrella or a jersey.

The current indications are that it’s most unlikely we will get any floods because we are heading towards the end of the dry season. We usually get less occurrences of those,” said Mr Ngoma.

He said the weather is expected to be warm and conducive during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) that will be hosted in Bulawayo next week.

ZITF

“We are expecting a dry period from the weekend going into the ZITF week. So, for those who are attending the ZITF, we are expecting it to be much warmer than what the country is currently experiencing,” he said.

Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Maphios Siamuchembu said there is a need for members of the public to continue being vigilant as Covid-19 cases might rise during the winter season.

Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Maphios Siamuchembu

He said people must eat healthy diets to protect themselves from other cold-related illnesses.

“Covid-19 is here to stay. The change in weather of a few days may not mean anything in numbers, but as we get into winter, we anticipate that the numbers will rise. People should be vaccinated against Covid-19 and continue masking up, sanitising and maintaining physical distancing.

“We should cultivate a healthy diet and normalise eating fruits and vegetables as well as staying warm. We also need to observe the coughing and sneezing etiquette, as well as washing and sanitising our hands frequently,” Dr Siamuchembu said.