Zimbabwe receives first batch of Covid vaccines

Zimbabwe, one of the landlocked countries in Southern Africa, has received its first batch of Covid vaccines, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

“The first batch of vaccines for Zimbabwe has been successfully delivered. We start vaccinating Zimbabweans this week!

“The faster our country is protected against this virus, the faster Zimbabwe’s economy can flourish,” Mnangagwa tweeted.

Four government ministers have so far died of coronavirus in Zimbabwe, prompting the country to further tighten lockdown measures.

According to media reports, several other cabinet ministers are fighting for their lives in a private hospital.

“We are in a dark cloud that we have to clear very soon,” deputy health minister John Mangwiro had said.

Mangwiro revealed plans to intensify the current lockdown, which has been in place since early January and includes a strict nightly curfew.

Restaurants, bars, and gyms have also been forced to close.

Zimbabwe has registered over 30,500 cases of the lethal infection since the start of the pandemic, including more than 960 deaths.