Own Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s total of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose to 2 296 yesterday, with four more deaths, taking the number of fatalities to 32, according to the daily report from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The number of new cases was 172, with 152 of them local infections and 79 of these from the Midlands, now a third focus of infection after Bulawayo and Harare. But of these 152 local cases, the source is known in 90.
Both Bulawayo deaths were men with other illnesses. The Harare death is a person testing positive on July 14 and dying from respiratory failure and acute kidney injury on July 17, while the Midlands death was a man with other medical conditions.
Bulawayo remains the hardest hit province with 569 known local infections and 15 deaths, followed by Harare with 283 confirmed infections and 10 deaths and Midlands now with 147 confirmed local infections and three deaths.
Acting Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo recently said lockdown fatigue may be behind the increase in Covid-19 cases in the city.
“There are a number of factors that we can attribute to the increase in the number of recorded cases. Certainly, we are witnessing what may be called ‘lockdown fatigue’, with residents no longer observing lockdown laws and the infection, prevention and control measures articulated by the Ministry of Health. Zimbabwe as well doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The number of cases recorded across the border has remained high,” he said.
“Factor in that we are now in peak winter season, and we did expect to see the peak number of cases sometime in winter. These are but some of the contributing factors to the recent surge in number of cases in Bulawayo. But it is also testament to the quality of contact tracing efforts done by the Bulawayo health services department. Most of our cases are asymptomatic and yet we are able to detect them.”
Dr Mlilo said the message to people remains the same: treat everyone as a potential Covid- 19 case. He said over 80 percent of cases will be asymptomatic or show mild symptoms.
“So, approach everyone as a possible source of Covid-19 infection. The government measures in place will not protect us without the community buy in.
Let’s all take personal responsibility for ourselves and the next person. Wear a well-fitting mask in public spaces, practice social distancing at every opportunity and let’s practice good hygiene, wash and iron our masks, wash our hands. These are simple but yet effective measures that stop the transmission of the virus,” said Dr Mlilo.
Zimbabwe Medical Association president Dr Francis Chiwora said porous borders and the country’s proximity to South Africa was the chief contributor to the high numbers being recorded.
“We are very close to the borders, there is a lot of illegal unaccounted travel. People are crossing illegally into the country. No one is testing them. Some families are harbouring them, then obviously with such scenarios, cases are expected to skyrocket. What we need is a heavier lockdown, which will ensure limited movement, hence reducing the chances of people infecting each other. Remember that the virus does not move, but people move and carry it around, so the more we stay in one place, the less we spread it,” said Dr Chiwora.
Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director and acting chief executive officer Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said epicentres in the country were shifting partly due to relaxed lockdowns in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, which made it easier for people to sneak into the country undetected.
He said imported goods from truckers brought legally, and those brought by border jumpers were also possible carriers of the virus, which can stay on some surfaces for up to eight days.
“Our geographical link with South Africa, Africa’s epicentre is problematic. It is now in the top 10 worldwide, and its lockdown was laxed, meaning people could move and come closer to the illegal crossing points. It’s even more convenient for such travel as the lockdown measures in the country were also laxed. Dead bodies of relatives are crossing into the country. Infections from bodies cannot be ruled out too. These porous borders are yet to bring even more doom,” said Dr Ngwenya.
“More people will die, if they do not listen. We have reached a dangerous point in the history of the virus. For every case you see, there could be three more cases unreported, and probably three more. If you do the math, it is not good. We need a hard lockdown.”
South Africa has now confirmed 6 093 deaths from 408 052 confirmed infections.