CHIEF co-ordinator to the COVID-19 taskforce in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Agnes Mahomva, says Zimbabweans should not worry about a new COVID-19 variant detected in neighbouring South Africa.
She made the remarks yesterday while responding to concerns raised as the new variant has been detected in five countries, including South Africa.
Mahomva, however, expressed concern over the lackadaisical approach being taken by people following the declaration by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the pandemic is no longer a global health emergency.
“There is no need to worry, not at all. As we have continued to say, there is no need to panic. As a nation we are well prepared and ready for any kind of variant.
“This is due to the experience that we have had, the lessons that we have learnt. We are very ready for anything,” she said.
“The biggest concern and worry that we have is the citizens, communities (have) relaxed, thinking that COVID-19 is gone 100%. COVID-19 is now like any other disease, it can come up anytime and hence everyone out there needs to be cautious. Let us just remain vigilant, if you have a flu, stay at home, cover your nose, wash hands and continue to sanitise, we are not dropping sanitisation, washing our hands because we think that COVID-19 is under control. Those are the basic things we must just continue with to remain vigilant,” Mahomva added.
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Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to South African Provincial Heads of Health, the director-general for health Sandile Buthelezi said although WHO declared an end to the global COVID-19 public health emergency in May 2023, COVID-19 remained a potential threat as the virus which causes the disease is still circulating.
Buthelezi said: “People are still being infected and some are experiencing severe disease. As a result of continued transmission, with the potential of the virus mutating, public health authorities continue to monitor the development of these mutated variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“The WHO technical advisory group on SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution meets regularly and as the need arises to review the distribution of variants, including the emergence of new variants.”
On August17 this year, WHO announced that a newly detected variant (scientifically labelled BA.2.86) had been declared a variant under monitoring. Nine cases have been detected in five countries: Denmark, Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa, but the cases are unrelated.