LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube yesterday said the government has so far spent close to US$130m on Covid-19 vaccines acquisition, Business Times can report.
Ncube made the remarks at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo.
“So far we have spent US$127.3m. We have already started procuring additional vaccines again focusing on Sinopharm and Sinovac,” Ncube told delegates attending the ZITF.
Ncube said the country will get 20m doses to ensure everyone gets vaccinated anywhere as the government steps up the Covid-19 fight.
“Vaccination is an economic recovery strategy and not just a health strategy,” Ncube said.
“We have lost a lot of people and this is something unprecedented. The choice is to save lives and that is what we’ve been trying to balance. It’s never easy. The economy is recovering led by mining, manufacturing and agriculture.”
In a post Cabinet briefing, Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services minister Monica Mutsvangwa said there has been a significant increase in the number of doses.
“Cabinet advises the nation that as of September 19, 2021, a total of 2 949 025 people had received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 2 065 395 their second dose across the country.
This translates to national coverage of 34.7% for the first dose and 24.3% for the second dose. Of special note is that the City of Bulawayo, at 52.6% for the first dose and 40.3% for the second is edging towards herd immunity, along with Matabeleland North where Victoria Falls has already surpassed its herd immunity,” Mutsvangwa said.
She said 1 million doses of Sinovac vaccine were received on September 14, 2021, bringing the total number of vaccine doses received since the roll-out of the vaccination programme to 11.8m.
As of September 20, 2021, Zimbabwe’s cumulative Covid-19 cases stood at 127 938, with 120 946 recoveries and 4 567 deaths.
The recovery rate stood at 95%, with 99% of cases being attributable to local transmission with active cases standing at 2 425.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article do not represent those of the European Union or the International Media Support
