Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe is better prepared to deal with the second phase of Covid-19, with more than 70 percent of material needed to respond to the pandemic now being manufactured locally, NatPharm board chair, Dr Billy Rigava has said.
This follows Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, who said there was need to continue adhering to the prescribed protocols.
Dr Rigava said the country was better prepared to deal with the pandemic in the event of a second phase.
“Firstly, when it started, people did not even know much about it, but now they have better information,” said Dr Rigava.
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“When we recorded the first cases, we were importing almost everything to respond to the pandemic, but local universities and some local companies are now manufacturing equipment to respond to Covid-19 and we are now importing just a few things.”
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro confirmed that NatPharm was now procuring most of the response material locally.
“The threat of the pandemic is still there and we need to continue observing the prescribed protocols,” he said.
“Health workers have done a great job as well. That is why we have these low numbers.”
World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Dr Alex Gasasira commended the Government for its response.
“If Zimbabwean authorities continue adhering to the mitigatory measures put in place, the country will pull through the second phase if it comes,” he said.
The vice chairman of the Ad-Hoc Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19, Professor Amon Murwira said the curfew remained in place as there was need to restrict people’s movement during the hours where there was less monitoring.
The curfew now runs from 10pm to 6am.
– HERALD
