28 die of Covid-19

Twenty eight people died of Covid-19 yesterday, with 1 331 new cases recorded in one day as the infection and death rates rise to levels not seen since the second wave early this year.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the deaths were spread out.  

While there were seven in Harare and six in Bulawayo, there were six in Midlands, five in Mashonaland West, three in Manicaland and one in Matabeleland North.

The new cases tended to concentrate in the hotspots. Mashonaland West, which holds three of the worst-hit districts, saw 371 new cases, more than a quarter of the total.  

Harare on 149, Masvingo on 146, Bulawayo on 142 and Manicaland on 108 were the other provinces in three figures.

Possibly the one clear piece of good news was the number of recoveries in Mashonaland West, 681, showing evidence that the infection rates are slowing with far more people getting better than falling ill.

This tends to suggest that the measures taken more than two weeks ago for a tight localised lockdown did help slow the rates of infection.

Regrettably this province was the only one where more people got better than fell ill, and this backs the decision by Government to extend the enhanced Level Four lockdown across the country for at least two weeks to help break the chains of infection.

But that moment is clearly seen not just when the infection rate falls, and Mashonaland West is still bad and the national highest, but earlier when the number of people getting better moves past the number of people falling sick.

Almost 17 000 jabs were given yesterday, with 6 452 getting their first jab and 10 389 their second.  The total vaccinations are now 777 161 first jabs and 555 277 fully vaccinated with both.