Staff Reporter.
Have you bothered to take a look how most Zimbabweans have been so quick to embrace masks but remain awfully poor at keeping social distance? When next time you visit a supermarket just take a look.
The Great Dykenews24 news team went around Harare to get a sense on how Zimbabweans are adopting wearing masks and keeping social distance.
What we discovered was a shocking demonstration of how people are still, weeks into lockdowns, not understanding how the virus is transmitted.
“ When I am wearing a mask, I am immune to conora” said one vendor.
A young man in his twenties who was in the supermarket echoed similar sentiments. “ Blaz (brother) a mask is the ultimate protector.
The key is to make sure I have the right one. There are too many fake masks flying around,” he said.
Even the diligent police and soldiers who now man the routes into and out of Harare seem to have forgotten about social distance. For sure they now wear masks but rarely do they keep distance from each other or the motorists they interact with.
Adherence to rules and etiquette seems to have overtaken the whole message.
A ZBC news crew recently carried a story of a graduation ceremony for military officers who were captured one-minute wearing masks and even sitting a meter apart during the ceremony.
However, as soon as official proceedings ended, many rushed to the dance floor, and with all social distance forgotten they exhibited their skills with apparent abandon.
Great Dykenew24 news crew also came across a number of people who wear masks only to take them off to engage in conversation.
Perhaps all this behavior is being caused by the apparent low numbers that have so far been recorded in the country and the belief that COVID 19 is imported.
The common view might be that anyone familiar does not have Covid19.
Whatever the case there is a crying need for Zimbabweans to know that masks are no guarantee for not contracting COVID 19.
Afterall. WHO says a mask helps avoid spreading the infection to the next person.
After a citywide tour, the conclusion by Greatdykenews24 was for a serious education campaign around masks. It is most likely true many now have a false belief that all it takes to beat COVID- 19 is have a mask around one’s face.