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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
The resumption of sporting activities in schools has been approved by the Government following an increase in the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines.

Sporting activities had been put on hold as part of the Standard Operating Procedures implemented in schools at the peak of the pandemic to try and minimise the spread of the disease among learners and staff.

Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, said Government was embracing the new normal by adopting the measures.

“In embracing the new normal, Cabinet has approved the following measures: that Provincial Medical Directors in collaboration with Provincial Education Directors submit, on a weekly basis, a list of schools in their provinces that meet the 70 percent second dose COVID-19 coverage, that all teams should continue working closely with community leaders to ramp up vaccination campaign activities, and encourage the most vulnerable groups, especially the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions to get vaccinated and that all primary schools resume all sporting activities.

“Secondary Schools that have reached 70 percent Covid-19 second dose vaccination can resume non-contact sporting activities,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said 66 cases had been detected through the school surveillance system since the beginning of the second on May 3.

She said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education continued to facilitate the on-going Covid-19 vaccination blitz campaign in schools.

“Provinces are planning to extend the phase two vaccination blitz campaign by a few more weeks to ensure that all eligible learners are vaccinated and are maximally protected, especially during the winter season that is now upon us,” she added.

As at May 16, Zimbabwe has recorded 249 431 Covid-19 cases with 242 537 recoveries and 5 484 deaths.

The recovery rate stands at 97 percent.

The overall number of new cases increased during the week to 910 cases compared to 361 the previous week, translating to an average of 130 new cases per day, compared to 52 the previous week.

Forty-nine new admissions were recorded compared to 42 the previous week, with 8 patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

“The nation is informed that the most recent genomic sequencing test results show that the circulating variants in Zimbabwe remain Omicron BA.1 and BA.2, and not the more transmissible BA.4 and BA.5 that have been reported in South Africa,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.