While daily Covid-19 infections have significantly declined over the past weeks, almost half of the cases recorded in the country yesterday were from schools, the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care have shown.
This is happening at a time when the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines has also gone down drastically, casting a shadow on the government meeting its 10 million target by year-end.
“Thirty-seven (37) new cases (all local) and four (4) deaths [were] reported today (Monday),” said the Ministry of Health and Child Care in its daily Covid-19 update late yesterday.
“Seven day rolling average for new cases remains at 40. Seventeen (17) of these cases are from outbreaks in schools.”
Schools in Manicaland had nine (9) cases, Masvingo six (6), Mashonaland West and Matabeleland North recorded one (1) case each.
In Bulawayo, according to the Health Services Department, a total of 23 learning institutions have recorded Covid-19 cases since schools opened in September with most having recovered and the situation under control.
Of those, there were 12 primary schools, 10 secondary schools and one tertiary institution that recorded cases between the end of third wave and last Friday.
“As of today (Monday), Zimbabwe has recorded 132 688 cases, 127 433 recoveries and 4 673 deaths,” said the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
A total of 3 299 cases were conducted yesterday with 1.2 percent of them coming out positive.
Active cases have since gone down to 585 with the national recovery rate now at 95 percent following 135 new recoveries recorded yesterday.
“As of 24 October 2021, at 1500 hours, there were 63 hospitalised cases, new admissions 1, asymptomatic 5, mild to moderate 42, severe 13 and 3 in Intensive Care Units,” said the Ministry.
A total of 6 378 people yesterday received their first jab bringing the cumulative total to 3 275 033 while 6 193 got their second dose pushing up the cumulative figure for the fully-vaccinated to 2 545 717.
