Post Cabinet Media Briefing by Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa
Cabinet received an update on the country’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs presented as the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the COVID-19 Outbreak.
Cabinet was informed that as at 12 February 2021, Zimbabwe’s cumulative COVID-19 cases stood at 35 045, with 29 959 recoveries, 1 393 deaths, a case fatality rate of 4.0%, and a recovery rate of 85,5%. Indications are that 33 348 cases contracted the virus from local transmission.
Active cases are now 3 693, while the cumulative number of infected Health Care Workers is 3 909, with 17 deaths.
Generally, the surge in cases is coming under control.
In view of the realisation that infection and death rates are still high despite a downward trend, Cabinet endorsed His Excellency the President’s decision to extend the Level Four lockdown measures for a further two weeks.
The curfew will now be in force from 2000 hours to 0530 hours while business operating hours have been increased slightly, from the previous 0800-1500 hours to 0800-1700 hours.
Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that results of the genomic sequencing recently conducted indicate that the type of COVID-19 virus that the nation had in 2020 has receded.
There is now a 61% 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.
