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Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
The Covid-19 omicron variant has been identified in Zimbabwe, with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga urging citizens to be more vigilant and follow the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines to be safe.

VP Chiwenga, who is also Health and Child Care Minister, said this yesterday while addressing farmers and stakeholders attending the Federation of Young Farmers Club Zimbabwe.

He urged people to get vaccinated and wear masks as ways of protecting themselves from the pandemic, which will ensure Government does not put extra measures to contain the spread.

“We are doing the genomic sequencing and we have already identified that we now have it in the country and we must remain vigilant,” he said.

“With the identification of the omicron variant, we all now have experienced from first wave to the second wave and third wave, which was just ending in this last month.

“It is our responsibility to act upon it to stay safe. The best way to stay safe is to be vaccinated. We have vaccines available. We want every Zimbabwean who has been defined as eligible to be vaccinated, to get vaccinated. We were vaccinating from 18 and above, now we have reduced to 16 and shortly will be vaccinating from the age of 14.”

VP Chiwenga said safety will not be guaranteed without vaccination and following religiously, the WHO protocols and those from the Ministry of Health.

“Whenever you feel any symptoms of the Covid-19, go and get tested. We want every of one of you to enjoy the coming festive period, Christmas and New Year, and therefore I urge all of you to adhere to regulations recently pronounced by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa.

“We will be very strict and measures which have been put in place have to be followed,” he said.

VP Chiwenga said scientists and experts the world over were still studying the omicron variant, which could mutate 32 times.

The Covid-19 National Committee has since designated omicron a variant of concern in line with the WHO declaration.

Zimbabwe is increasing surveillance and enforcement of Covid-19 protocols, especially at ports of entry to ensure the pandemic is kept at bay.

Cabinet resolved to immediately adopt and implement the recently announced WHO guidance and advice on responding to the new variant, including enhancing surveillance and genomic sequencing efforts to better understand SARS-CoV-2 variants that might be circulating in the country.