Harare (New Ziana)-The Ministry of Health and Child Care on Wednesday warned of an anticipated increase of Covid-19 cases among other expected health emergencies during the festive season.

As of 22 December 2020, the country had reported a cumulative 12 544 cases of the coronavirus, 10 159 recoveries and 326 deaths.

And while new infections had slowed down in the last three months, in what is commonly referred to as the first wave, the country has in the past few weeks recorded a resurgence of Covid-19, recording on average 100 new cases on a weekly basis, now dubbed the second wave.

In a statement, the Ministry said other health emergencies expected include typhoid fever, cholera and diarrhoeal diseases associated with the rainfall season.

“As the nation approaches the 2020 festive season, the Ministry of Health and Child Care would like to notify the public of an anticipated surge of Covid-19 cases and other public health emergencies during this time of the year.

“These emergencies include an increase in Covid-19 cases, outbreaks of typhoid fever, cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases associated with the rainfall season, an increase in malaria cases, road traffic accidents, flooding, drowning and lightning. The public is advised to take precautions to percent these diseases and emergencies,” said the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry said teams of national and provincial rapid response crews would be on standby during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to respond to disease outbreaks and other events of public health emergency.

New Ziana