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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

Sadc Chairperson and Mozambique President, Filipe Nyusi has bemoaned the increase in Covid 19 infections saying the region is now contributing 50 percent of new infections on the continent.

President Nyusi said this in a statement on the pandemic that has altered the way of life for the region’s citizens.

He attributed the increase in infections to the new Coronavirus strain with higher potential of transmissibility.

President Nyusi said the pandemic remained a major challenge in most Sadc member states.

In the first two weeks of January 2021, the total number of new confirmed Covid 19 cases stood at 346 010, accounting for 22 percent of the total number of cases registered since the beginning of the pandemic in the region.

“There is a growing concern that infections are being driven in part by a new strain of Corona virus known as 501.V2 which has so far been reported in three Sadc countries according to the Africa Centre for Disease Control,” President Nyusi said.

“In fact, more than 50 percent of all new daily infections of Covid -19 on the African continent have been reported in the Sadc region. Under this scenario, our health systems are rapidly reaching the limit of their capacities and the situation is expected to worsen in the short term.”

He added that the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on the lives of citizens was becoming widespread and devastating with education, employment and economic activities being severely disrupted.

This, he said, had worsened poverty, with all underlying social consequences that included increase in crime and gender-based violence.

The Sadc chairman commended member states and Sadc Citizens for their sacrifices and hardships endured since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Yet, we wish to appeal to all of us to re-apply efforts to curb the high infection and mortality rates, as only if we stand together and collaborating, we will have resilience and capacity to overcome this pandemic.

“This time round, it is imperative that we build on the knowledge and experience achieved in mitigating this pandemic and continue to adopt common and harmonised policies, guidelines, strategies and measures in response to the pandemic,” he said.