By Moses Charedzera
Since the first reported case of covid-19 on the 20thĀ OfĀ March 2020,Ā Zimbabwe had managed to keep theĀ progression ofĀ theĀ pandemic under check until July.
DrivenĀ now by a rapidlygrowing local transmission, the situation is about to get out of hand unless anotherĀ total shutdownĀ for at least two weeksĀ is imposed.
FromĀ theĀ 30thĀ March when the lockdown was introduced to 30thofĀ June,Ā Zimbabwe recorded 574 casesĀ in three months. ThenĀ in one month the equation changed.
The end of July saw Zimbabwe recordingĀ a cumulative of 3092 cases,Ā representing aĀ massiveĀ jump of 2518 casesĀ in one month.
With such an alarmingly steep rise in the caseload curve, alarm bells shouldĀ be ringing, a call to immediateĀ action. ThisĀ should be so in view of the obtaining situation in theĀ country.
A lethargic inertia has entered communities who areĀ blatantly disregarding the very measures that should protect them. What is worrisome is thatĀ the high fidelityĀ ofĀ complianceĀ toĀ some of theĀ measures in theĀ initialĀ lockdown periodĀ has been replaced byĀ wanton abandon, a disconcerting letting down of the guardĀ akin toĀ self-immolation.
There is no resolve and strength to wear the mask religiouslyĀ in publicĀ places, with this premier guard against infection being lowered down, or just absent inĀ many communities.
ManyĀ times,I have experienced embarrassment for wearing the facemask(but have not taken it off)Ā as members of the community look at me like an alien.
The only time they wear the mask is whenĀ shops prevent entry to those without masks, yet the primary function of the mask is to protect the one who wears it.Ā
I have exchanged more than banter with my friend who still insists on shaking hands and breaking the one metre social distance rule when we chat.
CocoonedĀ in a feeling of safety by familiarity, the community exhibits a mixture of genuine ignoranceĀ and inertia as the pandemic enters the acceleration stage.Ā There is this feeling, quite divorced from logic,Ā thatĀ āyes corona isĀ there, butĀ IĀ wonātcatchĀ it.āĀ
The isĀ despite the fact thatĀ we are beginning to see more television stories with undertakers and pall bearers dressedin the white personalĀ protective equipmentĀ used whenĀ burying coronavirus victims.
ThereĀ is thus need to scale upĀ and restructureĀ theĀ information campaignĀ andĀ messagingĀ at a national levelĀ to focus on motivatingĀ behaviour change and this entails going beyond messages onĀ symptomsĀ and prevention.Ā
Such messagingĀ needs to provoke and stimulate members of the communityĀ to act to stop the spread of the pandemic.
The currentĀ perceptionĀ is that the responsibility ofĀ stopping the pandemic lies with government,Ā with the majority requiring various authorities such as the police,Ā bus crews, supermarketsĀ and other enterprises to enforce covid-19 regulations for them.Ā
The biggest limitation to this set up is thatĀ where there is no one to enforce the regulations, such as in homes, in the community and in structures where enforcement is lax, every member of society becomes a potential agent for getting infected and spreading the disease to someone else.Ā
So itĀ isĀ imperative to see the need for behaviour change in everybodyĀ and to motivate that change.Ā The campaign thus needs to stress that theĀ covid-19 regulationsĀ are for the safety and good health of each and every citizen.Ā
AsĀ we have seen withĀ coronavirus,Ā one member ofĀ the communityĀ whoĀ does not complyĀ withĀ the regulations is a danger to all the community.
In myĀ earlierĀ offering on covid-19, IĀ used the analogy of the horizontal radio volume controlĀ knob as a continuum for action to stop the pandemic.
In thisĀ formulation, moving the knob to theĀ far-rightĀ entails movement towards an effective total shutdown, while movement to the left involves minimal regulationsĀ but more space for the virus to spread.
Now is theĀ timeĀ to move the knobĀ furtherĀ to the right.Ā While this entails moreĀ pressure andĀ squeezeĀ on livelihoods, itĀ neverthelessĀ reflects the reality of the situation andĀ is in sync with governmentās mantra that the economy can be resuscitate but lost livesĀ canāt.
Zimbabweās health delivery system was underĀ severe stress even before the covid-19 pandemic and is ill-equipped to handle the massive numbers that result from aĀ full-blownĀ pandemic.Ā
We need to remember that covid-19 is a disease ofĀ sheerĀ numbers.
EuropeĀ withĀ its superior public and private health system was overwhelmedĀ and we canāt fare any better.
It is also important to note that some countries such asĀ Botswana,Ā China, Germany, SouthĀ Korea,Ā Lebanon and Saudi ArabiaĀ haveĀ bolsteredlockdown measuresĀ due to spikes in cases.Ā
I need to reiterate that while the impact on already strained livelihoods will be significant,Ā this can not compare to the cost in lives lost which is bound to occur if the lockdown continues in its present state.