As 3/9/2020 Zimbabwe has 40 new cases total 6 678 no new deaths total 206.
Carried out 1095 PCR test, Bulawayo 76, Harare 925 and Manicaland 94 and zero everywhere else.
The are a total of 1209 active cases with Bulawayo 95, Harare 483, Manicaland 54, etc.
It is interesting to note in the last few weeks government has ramp up test at Zanu PF HQ (26 tested positive), Munhumutapa Building (80 tested positive) Parliament (2 workers and unknown number of MPs tested positive). None of these areas can ever be considered frontline and high risk area on par with hospitals and clinics and yet workers in these areas are being tested ahead of health care workers!
What is clear here is that the ruling elite clearly believe in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) clarion call to “Test! TEST!! TEST!!!!” as the most effective way of containing the corona virus. Those who have the virus and immediately send into isolation and follow up test are done on all those who came into conduct with the infected person.
The targeting of work places where the ruling elite work shows Zanu PF believes in WHO’s advice as an effective means to contain the corona virus but only when the lives of the ruling elite are at risk!
Zimbabwe’s confirmed corona virus cases and deaths should roughly be 1/4 those of SA but have remained low only because we are not testing as aggressively as our neighbour across the Limpopo River!
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South Africa |
Zimbabwe |
Comment |
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Population |
60 million |
16 million |
approx 1/4 that of SA |
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Covid-19 cases |
628 259 |
6 678 |
1/4 of SA = 157 000 or 150 000 who should be in isolation are not |
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Covid-19 deaths |
14 263 |
206 |
1/4 of SA = 3 500 or 3 300 buried without following WHO protocol |
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Covid-19 tests end July |
3 million |
145 000 |
1/4 of SA = 750 000 or 20% |
By carrying out only 20% of the tests we should have done it means we have missed out identifying 150 000 potential covid-19 cases who would be in isolation and are instead spreading the virus. And by failing to test and confirming all these who have died and had corona virus symptoms it is possible 3 300 bodies were buried without following the WHO protocol to ensure the virus does not spread to the living.
The failure to test as aggressively as we should alone will result in hundreds of thousands of more people being infect with corona virus and many of them will die.
Zimbabwe’s very low official covid-19 figures give the impression Zimbabwe has contain the corona virus pandemic. No one of substance is fooled by these figures because they know they would be much higher if the country was testing as it should!
Frankly, the nation would be better off having high official figures because we were testing and saving lives than low official figures and condemning so many innocent people to suffer and many to die unnecessarily!
Government is considering lifting the current coronavirus curfew as the country records increasingly fewer infections and more recoveries.
ReplyDeleteDefence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri told Parliament yesterday that Zimbabwe had flattened the Covid-19 curve as there was now equilibrium between increases in infections and increases in recoveries.
There is a world of difference between having “fewer infection” because you are testing and finding fewer cases and having fewer cases because you are not testing. Zimbabwe has not been testing as aggressively as it should.
Instead of Zimbabwe’s corona virus policy being determined by common sense, it is now guided by the childish mentality that everything before you disappears when you close your eyes!
Zimbabwe’s official figures of 6 678 confirmed covid-19 cases and 206 deaths is rubbish. The figures are a hell lot higher than that!
How many more innocent Zimbabweans must be infected and die of covid-19 before the nation finally wakes up to the reality this Zanu PF government has been falsifying the seriousness of pandemic to hide its own blundering incompetence in the handling of the virus!!!!!
A huge number of workers working towards rehabilitation of Mvurwi hospital, which was declared a provincial Covid-19 isolation centre have left the job lamenting poor remuneration.
ReplyDeleteBulawayo24.com has it on good record that Public works which is responsible for the construction of laundry room and shower rooms last months paid RTGS 1 600.
Zimbabwe’s hospitals and clinics are in a sorry state, there is a serious shortage of health care workers and the few working are more often than not on strike. And yet the country claims to have done better than many other countries with robust economy, well equipped and staffed health care services, etc. This simply defies logic!
Part 1 of 2
ReplyDeleteHowever, medical experts - taking into account what the World Health Organisation (WHO) said earlier this week - have warned that it is too early to conclude that Covid-19 is definitely under control in the country.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, pictured, said Zimbabwe had flattened the Covid-19 curve, as there was now "equilibrium between increases in infections and increases in the recoveries".
"The success story is pointing to the good mechanisms that we have put in place, including the curfew which we introduced after a very scientific review which analysed our capacity and capability.
"Decisions that we make are informed, whilst thorough research is done. If and when we are satisfied that the environment is conducive, we will consider that (curfew review).
"At the moment, there is equilibrium between increases in infections and increases in the recoveries. So, it is important that we continuously review as we improve," Muchinguri-Kashiri, who is also the head of the Covid-19 taskforce, said.
"We do have … experts who study the situation within our region and also we work very closely with the WHO
"It is difficult for now to say we have won the war against Covid-19. We need to do more tests.
"If we deal properly with the issue of tests, we will be able to know the correct figure of positive cases. For now it is difficult to conclude so.
"Let us remain focused," Norman Matara, the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZAHDR), told the Daily News.
"We must know that there are some people who are not going for tests and these people recover at home. So, and for now, we cannot have a definite conclusion.
"On the ground, we had already relaxed (lockdown measures), but what we need to do is to strengthen our health institutions so that we have the capacity to treat those who come to hospital," he added.
The president of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina), Enock Dongo, dismissed outright the authorities' conclusion that the Covid-19 curve had flattened - saying the low new infection levels were a result of few tests being carried out.
Addressing a virtual meeting with journalists earlier this week, WHO director general Tedros Ghebreyesus said coronavirus was still a threat.
"Eight months into the pandemic, we understand that people are tired and yearn to get on with their lives.
"We understand that countries want to get their societies and economies going again. That's what WHO wants too," he said.
"Stay-at-home orders and other restrictions are something that some countries felt they needed to do to take pressure off their health systems.
"But they have taken a heavy toll on livelihoods, economies and mental health. WHO fully supports efforts to reopen economies and societies.
"We want to see children returning to school and people returning to the workplace, but we want to see it done safely," Ghebreyesus added.
Zimbabwe faces its first test on gatherings of many people when all examination students return to schools for face-to-face learning on September 14.
Part 2 of 2
ReplyDeleteThe decision to allow examination classes to reopen has put the authorities at odds with teachers who insist that the government is ill-prepared for the safe relaunch of in-class learning.
The teachers have since set tough conditions for their return to face-to-face teaching. Despite the criticism, Muchinguri-Kashiri said this decision was taken after extensive consultations.
"A lot of research was done by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, together with the ministry of Health, and they are responsible for making recommendations to the taskforce and the task force also recommends to the Cabinet.
"So, at the moment we are very satisfied that it is the statistics, the interaction which they undertook with all relevant stakeholders, that has been done and both indicated that they are happy.
"All measures have been put in place to make sure that the environment will be safe to allow examinations to take place," Muchinguri-Kashiri further told Parliament.
"So, with that situation, we want to assure the nation that as I have indicated, everything is science-based. We undertake research to make sure our level of error is minimal," she said further.
It is not surprising that every self respecting individual and organisation has dismissed the foolish claim that Zanu PF has contained the corona virus with the utter contempt it rightly deserves.
SA has not done anything near close to the level of testing done in countries like South Korea and Germany who have contain the corona virus. Still SA has not done too badly with 3 million test by the end of July. Zimbabwe should have done 750 000 just to keep pace with SA but in reality had only done 145 000 or 20%.
How can Zimbabwe's decision be "science based" when the country does not have meaningful data?
The real big surprise in Zimbabwe is that so many people including those in the health profession have connived with Zanu PF all these last seven months by saying nothing about the country’s contrived covid-19 cases and deaths. Indeed, some people have even repeated the Ministry of Health figures giving the lies mileage!
The penalty of falsifying the corona virus figures that the virus has been spreading far and wide; many more people have been infected and may will die!
Ever since the death of the late Minister of Agriculture, Perrance Shiri, the Zanu PF ruling elite have certainly had a wake-up call. Mnangagwa had all those working in his Munhumutapa Building tested for the virus and learning that 80 of them had the virus must have pushed all the panic buttons because many other government and party workers have been tested too.
ReplyDeleteAll those who tested positive were send away on isolation, away from the chefs. I will bet my bottom dollar no effort was made to trace and track who else might have got the virus from those infected, the regime is not interested in the ordinary people as long as they are kept away from the chefs.
The country has not been testing as aggressively as it should but now we might end up with the absurd situation in which the great majority of the tests are of the chefs and those likely to come into conduct with the chefs. Mnangagwa and his cronies are focusing all the covid-19 tests to create a bubble with the chef at the centre. What a nightmare!
Ongoing mismanagement and corruption mean it is “out of the question” that the European Union will resume aid directly to the government of Zimbabwe anytime soon, according to the bloc’s ambassador to the country.
ReplyDeleteThe government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has “indicated that they would be interested in reverting back to budget support,” EU Ambassador Timo Olkkonen told Devex in an interview last week. “I can’t prejudge, of course, what happens with the [EU’s upcoming development assistance] programming exercise — but I would say, from my personal perspective, I think it would be impossible.”
The ambassador is only restating something we already know!
It is not up to EU or anyone else to make sure Zimbabwe has a competent government. It is our job as Zimbabweans to do so and so far we have let ourselves down and are paying dearly for our folly.
“Also, much progress has been made towards the achievement of a US$12billion Mining Industry by 2023. My recent visit to Hwange revealed unassailable progress in the implementation of the coal to hydrocarbons development plans where it emerged that the country has over 5 000 megawatts of power in the pipeline, which should see Zimbabwe not only becoming self-sufficient in electrical power generation by 2023, but also a net exporter of electricity,” said Mnangagwa.
ReplyDelete“On the economic front, much progress has been registered in spite of the sanctions imposed by our detractors. Government has gone out of its way to institute innovative measures to spur the country’s development. This is evident by the various infrastructural projects that are evident as you transverse our major highways and communities in terms of schools and health centres,” he said.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride and win the grand national steeple chase every time!
Of course, if you are not democratically accountable to the people; because you rig the elections, etc.; you can afford to promise them the moon on a silver platter and deliver hell-on-earth. The nation must not allow itself to be distracted by Mnangagwa’s promises of economic prosperity and concentrate instead on making sure the democratic reforms are implemented and next elections are free, fair and credible.
The only sure way to get the reform finally implemented is for Zanu PF to step down to allow for the appointment of others to do this work. Nothing of substance can ever be accomplish until we cure ourselves of the curse of rigged elections.
The 5 000 megawatt generation is just another mirage which will be moved as we get near 2023! If Zanu PF is still in office in 2023 the party will rig these elections and remain in office five more years!