COMMENT: Huge number of arrested lockdown violators worrisome 

Source: COMMENT: Huge number of arrested lockdown violators worrisome | The Chronicle

ZIMBABWEANS have now embraced the ongoing mass Covid-19 vaccination as evidenced by the long queues at the vaccination centres throughout the country. Some centres are now running out of the vaccine as more and more people come forward to be vaccinated.

The response has been very positive in both urban and rural areas and Government has made a commitment to avail adequate vaccines. Many frontline workers who include doctors, nurses, journalists, security personnel and other such workers were vaccinated first and only a few frontline workers are yet to be vaccinated.

President Mnangagwa and Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, were among the first to be vaccinated thereby leading from the front in the vaccination campaign.

What is evident now is that the naysayers who have been trying to cause confusion by peddling falsehoods regarding the vaccines, have lost the fight and in fact, some of them are now among the people that have been vaccinated.

Some of the prominent persons who have been leading campaigns against the vaccination programme have now publicly admitted that they have been deliberately misleading the people and are now urging them to be vaccinated. Much to the chagrin of peddlers of falsehoods, cities such as Victoria Falls have already reached herd immunity.

The country has to inoculate about 60 percent of the population to reach herd immunity.

The Covid-19 pandemic has already claimed millions of lives globally and continues to kill thousands daily.

Zimbabwe has been witnessing a spike in new cases and deaths during this third wave of the pandemic and we hope following the good response to the mass vaccination, the spread of the pandemic will slow down.

The Government has repeatedly said people’s lives come first hence the enforcement of the enhanced level 4 lockdown in response to a surge in cases during this third wave.

The nation is sacrificing some economic activities and citizens’ liberties as it grapples to contain the spread of the pandemic. We want to take this opportunity to appeal to citizens to play their part by strictly adhering to Covid-19 health protocols. The increasing number of people being arrested for violating lockdown rules and regulations is a confirmation that many people are yet to change their behaviour.

The onus is on each and every citizen to take measures to curb the spread of this pandemic that is causing havoc throughout the world.

Zimbabweans, like the rest of the world, are losing their loved ones daily and what is very worrying is that the pandemic is now in communities in both urban and rural areas. The need for everyone to be vigilant can therefore, not be over-emphasised. It is important to avoid super spreaders such as big gatherings.