Zimbabwe: 50 cases of the Omicron variant have been identified

Zimbabwean health authorities have so far identified 50 cases of the Omicron variant, said Undersecretary of Health John Manguiro.

The government has announced that it will start offering boosting doses of the vaccine to first-line workers, the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases.

Most of Micron’s cases were diagnosed at a pedagogical school. Some are among the members of the national youth football team (Under-17) that was going to participate in a local tournament.

“We took 20 samples from the college and 22 from the football team, all were positive in the Omicron variant,” the minister said. The remaining 8 cases were detected in random tests.

As of Tuesday, Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagua has imposed strict new measures, such as a 10-day quarantine on those arriving in the country. The curfew is also extended at night and in order to enter a bar or club you must have a vaccination certificate.

Mandatory quarantine has been of particular concern to Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa, who usually return home for the Christmas holidays.

As of March 2020, 136,379 infections and 4,707 deaths from Covid-19 have been reported in Zimbabwe.

SOURCE: AMPE