Zimbabwe President ED Mnangagwa has today extended the Lockdown period by a further 14 days to 3 May 2020. Zimbabwe’s lockdown started on 30 March 2020 and was set to end on 19 April 2020.
Zimbabwe has so far recorded 25 infections and 3 deaths made up of local and imported infections.
Mnangagwa said numbers are rising and will soon become uncontrollable once they pass a 100. Mnangagwa said more citizens are coming back to Zimbabwe, which presents an unavoidable threat to Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe should treat the small numbers as an opportunity to tighten controls over infections. However, Mnangagwa said it has always been known that a Lockdown is not the solution but a holding opetation while looking for durable solutions.
Mnangagwa explained that Zimbabwe’s stategy is as follows:
- Leveling the Pandemic by arresting its spread in the immediate
- Government moving to expanded testing before people are infected
- This broad approach will detect asymptomatic cases
- Make more test kits available countrywide
- Re-purposing all health institutions and laboratories
- More training of health professionals with adequate PPEs
- Increase Coronavirus beds countrywide
Mnangagwa said over the past few weeks he has held meetings with various experts and he says he is confident that Zimbabwe is geared for successful defence against Coronavirus.
Mnangagwa said experts told him that the best way to beat the disease is to assign 1 contact tracer to every 4 infections.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe is yet to meet conditions for lifting the lockdown.
