COVID-19 related deaths continue to surge, with thirty-one people having succumbed to the pandemic this Tuesday.
The fourth wave triggered by the Omicron variant has seen the country paying the price for the festive season complacency with the death records now rising.
With 59 deaths recorded this January alone, there are indications that 90 percent of the current fatalities are people who were not vaccinated.
A 14-day analysis of the period starting from the 20th of December to the 2nd of January this year showed that 245 covid-19 deaths were recorded compared to 73 recorded during the same period the previous year.
In an interview with State media on the Current Affairs programme, Face the Nation this Tuesday, the Chief Coordinator to COVID-19 response in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva spoke on the imminent death records if complacency is allowed to get foothold in communities.
“Vaccination is still relevant and the best protection that residents can consider to save themselves from succumbing to the deadly virus. The fourth wave where the omicron variant is dominating most of our cases is not bad is not a true reflection of a sudden upsurge in deaths and new cases hence let’s not tire doing what we know is right especially getting vaccinated,” Dr Mahomva explained.
This also comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) this Tuesday confirmed the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant ‘IHU,’ which has more mutations than Omicron, in France.
The new variant — B.1.640.2 — which has been detected in 12 patients near Marseille, contains 46 mutations, making it more resistant to vaccines and infectious.
World health organisation Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had already warned that soaring Omicron cases around the globe could increase the risk of a newer, more dangerous variant emerging. – ZBC
