HARARE – July 2021 has been the deadliest month in as far as COVID-19 deaths and infections are concerned in Zimbabwe since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
Official figures show that while on June 30 the country had recorded 49,864 cases and 1,789 deaths, the figures had ballooned to 107,490 cases and 3,490 deaths by July 30 as a third wave swept across the country and left a trail of disaster throughout.
Official data shows that the number of infections is receding since the peak in mid-July, although the number of deaths remains high.
The government continues to encourage citizens to be vaccinated and is pushing toward attaining herd immunity under which 60 percent of the population (of about 10 million people) are vaccinated.
As of July 30, 1,623,874 people had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines, while another 751,487 had completed their courses with mainly the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines from China.
Zimbabwe recently approved the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use against COVID-19, bringing the total number of approved vaccines to five.
The other two vaccines are Sputnik V from Russia and Covaxin from India.
