Harare, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe on Thursday reported over 1 000 new Covid-19 cases, the third time inside ten days it has suffered such high daily infection rates.

The country is overwhelmed by the second wave of the pandemic, with both infections and deaths rising sharply.

It first crossed the 1 000 case mark on January 5 with 1 365 cases, the highest single day tally so far, before dropping to 1 017 cases on January 13 and 1 112 on Thursday.

A total of 47 people succumbed to pandemic on Thursday.

“The seven-day rolling average for new cases rises to 956 from 921 yesterday (Wednesday),” the Ministry of Health and Child Care said.

The average for new cases has jumped from 172 on January 1, 2021, pointing to the meteoric rise in new infections.

To date the country has, since March last year, recorded 25 368 cases and 636 deaths.

The recovery rate currently stands at 58 percent, with active cases at 10 018.

Government on January 5 imposed a Level 4 lockdown, which largely restricts movement of people.

Last week, government officials indicated local hospitals were outstretched with Covid-19 patients, with social media flooded with requests by citizens with sick relatives looking for private beds or oxygen tanks to assist breathing.

Ten days into lockdown, new infections seem unrelenting as numbers creep up, with government exhorting citizens to take seriously preventative measures such as compulsory wearing of masks, sanitising and physical distancing.
New Ziana