WCOZ Situation Report
ZIMBABWE LOCKDOWN: DAY 500

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11 August 2021

500 days of the COVID-19 Lockdown, and as of 10 th of August 2021, the Ministry of Health and Child Care reported
that, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases had increased to 117 258 after 405 new cases all local cases, were
recorded. The highest case tally was recorded in Mashonaland East with 83 cases. The hotspots updates are as
follows; Mashonaland West Province – Hurungwe (1), Kariba (1), Makonde (4), Mashonaland Central – Bindura (5),
Mazowe (11). Mashonaland East – Marondera (20), Mutoko (10). Masvingo Province – Chiredzi (6), Masvingo (14),
Midland Province-Kwekwe (5), Harare Province-Harare (55).
We note that the Hospitalisation rate as at 15:00hrs on 9 August 2021 was 498 hospitalised cases: 34 New
Admissions, 76 Asymptomatic cases, 326 mild-to-moderate cases, 76 severe cases and 20 cases in Intensive Care
Units. (Providence, Arundel, B5 Leon, Muzari, St Ruperts, St Michaels, Matebeleland South and Montague did not
report today)
Active cases went down to 21 809. The total number of recoveries went up to 91 499 increasing by 1 289 recoveries.
The recovery rate goes up marginally to 78% from 77%. A total of 15 178 people received their 1st doses of vaccine.
The cumulative number of the 1st dose vaccinated now stands at 1 912 592. A total of 16 873 recipients received
their second dose bringing the cumulative number of 2nd dose recipients to 1 061 238. The death toll went up to 3
950 after 31 new deaths were recorded.
We note the latest announcement by Government allowing sit-in congregants at churches on condition that the
congregants are fully vaccinated through the 2 doses of the vaccines, and also that all WHO protocols and COVID-19
regulations are observed. We however raise query as to the basis of this exception, in the context where
Restaurants are still banned from taking sit-in customers. We warn against abuse of such exceptions, particularly
where there may not be strong mechanisms to ensure compliance with the guidelines and regulations.

Critical Emerging Issues

1. Measures to Support Communities to Access Substantive On-Time Health Care Support
We continue to note the difficulties reported by our networks for positive COVID-19 persons to access health
support. We are concerned at the impression that communities and households seek care when it is too late without
seeking to understand why. We note reports from our networks which indicate not being able to make substantive
distinctions between flue and COVID-19 symptoms. We also note reports reporting late and rapid onset of
symptoms. Further, we note households who have to make a decision between paying for tests versus using limited
household funds to pay for care of COVID-19. We are concerned that communities report community health care centres with limited supplies and hence opt out of staying in health care centres where there is no known support
versus the tangible care that can be offered at home albeit to their detriment.

• We continue to call for direct efforts to reduce the lag time between policy announcements and
  implementation of the same in particular the virtual hospital services meant to provides expanded care to
  home based treatment and management of COVID-19.
• We continue to call the Government to ensure reduction of costs for testing of COVID-19 for suspected
  cases.
• We urge full support for households facing the crisis of the treatment and management of COVID-19.

Outstanding issues

1. Ensuring Vaccine Access and Equity in Zimbabwe
We highlight concerns regarding the reporting on the data of the vaccination-drive. We are concerned by the lack of
publication of data in regards to districts that have received support, in particular, the rural and health-centres and
disadvantaged communities. We stress that the status of the national vaccination programme, whilst meeting
milestones must also be responsive to the needs and expectations of local Zimbabweans and their experiences. We
are aware of efforts to target border communities directly, however, reports from our networks, indicate significant
pockets in those communities still being left behind.
We are concerned by the lack of publication of the gender disaggregated data by district to advise the nation and the
health sector at large, on key areas of focus and support, in order to ensure vaccine equity within the country. We
further emphasise the need to interrogate clear gender dynamics arising from the chaos and congestion at
vaccination centres which appear to be leaving women behind due to rigidities and inflexibilities in the system.
In the same breadth, we are continually concerned that despite the procurement process of vaccines being much
advertised, the realities on the ground continue to raise inconsistencies in supplies and shortages of vaccines in
communities.

• We call for a national report with clear gender disaggregated data on vaccine distribution and access per
  District
• We urge the publication of data in regards to Districts that have received support, in particular the rural and
  health centres and disadvantaged communities.
• We call for announcement and implementation of measures to ensure that border communities and hard to
  reach, remote communities receive expanded access to vaccines.

This SITREP is developed by and through the collective network of organisational and individual members of the Women’s Coalition of

Zimbabwe who are engaged at community levels to national levels in the COVID19 response in Zimbabwe