Let’s all fight to reduce COVID-19 infections

WHERE possible, organisations should encourage and support home working, if we are to successfully fight COVID-19.

The past days have seen infection figures rising again, after we had appeared as if we were registering success in the past few months.

Resources should be allocated to foster communication, to ensure employees feel cared for, trusted and consulted over decisions that affect their health, and that of their colleagues.

Expanding access to professional mental healthcare is important to ensure that we do not see a repeat of the first wave, where a substantial proportion of those needing it were unable to access it.

In the case of primary, secondary and tertiary education, if the advice of organisations such as the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights or Community Working Group on Health and scientific evidence had been followed, many students now reporting distress, either after being infected, or worrying about their colleagues being infected, would not have been found in that position, especially if the whole country had heeded advice on flattening the curve.

As the festive season draws nearer, it is crucial that authorities and organisations focus on rebuilding our communities.

Lately, public confidence on our country’s ability to handle the pandemic sank to its lowest since the pandemic began.

The handling of the doctors and nurses’ concerns with regards to challenges they are facing when discharging their duties is worrying.

Government has been dishing out suspension letters to nurses who have not been reporting for duty, but has since suspended issuing out the suspension letters.

Organisational and political leaders have a key role to play in creating environments and conditions that help the country recapture a shared sense of togetherness, trust and solidarity that was apparent during the first lockdown.

Let’s protect ourselves from this virus, let’s put all heads together.