Surging infections halt schools reopening in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has deferred the reopening of schools and other learning institutions by two weeks after the weekly number of new cases spiked from 544 to 1,239.

"This represents a 127 percent increase. The surge is mostly attributable to the general complacency in adhering to the set COVID-19 preventive and precautionary measures both in the communities and at workplaces," Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday.

Schools were scheduled to open next week. Teachers' unions advocating for schools to reopen in mid-August when the winter season is over have hailed the delay as important for the safety of teachers and learners.

Mutsvangwa said the situation in Kariba, Makonde and Hurungwe districts, which were recently placed under lockdown, has hardly improved with all the areas recording a spike in new infections.

In light of the surge in new infections, targeted localized lockdowns have been introduced in many COVID-19 hotspot areas across the country.

The city of Kwekwe, which was first locked down on May 9 after the discovery of the Delta variant and a surge in COVID-19 positive cases, has been placed under further lockdown.

Mutsvangwa said that by June 20, more than 700,000 people had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 430,000 their second dose across the country. She said 500,000 doses of vaccines are expected from China on Saturday while plans are also in motion to procure 2 million doses of vaccines from China.

Border posts, the current hotspot areas, tobacco auction floors and people's markets will be prioritised in the next stage of the country's vaccination program.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of Tuesday, Zimbabwe had 42,714 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 1,691 deaths.

While according to the World Health Organisation, Zimbabwe is one of seven African countries that are on track to vaccinate 10 percent of the population by September, the country has not been spared from a third wave of COVID-19 infections gripping the continent.

By Monday, Africa had recorded more than 5,200,000 COVID-19 cases and 138,000 deaths. About 12 million people have been fully vaccinated, which is less than 1 percent of the continent's population.