The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
MANICALAND Province has stepped up plans to roll out the Covid-19 vaccination programme which will see thousands of frontline workers getting the shot in the first phase of the programme.
The vaccine was expected to arrive in the province yesterday (Thursday), with the roll out beginning thereafter.
Provincial development coordinator, Mr Edgars Seenza, said trainings at district level are ongoing.
“The vaccine is expected to arrive today (Thursday) and then roll out will follow. Currently, trainings at district level are being finalised. The province is also finalising all logistical arrangements to have everything in place,” he said.
The country received 200 000 vaccines doses from China on Monday and these will be administered to 100 000 people under the initial phase.
Frontline health care workers from both the public and private sector will be the first to receive the shot as well as other high-risk frontline workers in the security services, those at the ports of entry and Agritex workers.
After the initial group is vaccinated, the second stage will see people with serious medical conditions and those over 60 receiving the vaccine.
Mutare City Council’s acting health services director, Dr Kudzai Murembwe, said they have already compiled names of all health care workers in council facilities as well as the private institutions in preparation for the vaccine roll out.
“For now, we cannot give the number of health workers who will receive the vaccine because the list is still being compiled at district and provincial levels. All health workers in council clinics and private hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories and surgeries will be included in that initial stage,” she said.
However, the provincial medical director,
Dr Simon Nyadundu could not be reached to give the specific number of frontline personnel that will be vaccinated in the initial phase.
So far, Manicaland has recorded 3661 Covid-19 cases, of which 2 901 people have recovered, while 574 are active cases.
The province also has the third highest death rate after Harare and Bulawayo with 186 deaths.
There has been a steady decline in the number of Covid-19 positive cases over the past few weeks although Government remains on high alert for the South African variant which is now more dominant and spreads faster than the original variant.
As a result, lockdown regulations are still being tightly enforced to minimise the higher risk.
Early this week, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa stressed the need for the nation to be more vigilant.
“There is now a 61 percent dominance of the new South African variant of the Covid-19 virus which spreads faster and has a higher fatality rate. Accordingly, the nation now needs to be more vigilant than before and adhere to Covid-19 prevention and control measures. Security personnel have therefore, been directed to intensify monitoring and enforcement in order to enhance compliance,” she said.
