Robust action plan required to save us from COVID-19 pandemic

I HAVE written this letter to propose an idea that will effectively assist in curbing the spread the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered virus.

There is need for an urgent national action plan to be implemented by the government, so as to save us from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 virus is spread primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the mouth or nose when an infected person talks, sings, coughs or sneezes.

The Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine, the Moderna mRNA vaccine, the Russian vaccine (Sputnik V) or the Chinese vaccine (CoronaVac) or Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, will not be readily available to developing economies such as Zimbabwe. The extremely high global demand, shipping constraints and the inherent instability of these vaccines if they are not stored in super-cold temperatures that range between -70 Celsius and -20 Celsius, are glaring facts that Zimbabwe needs an alternative and effective national plan to curb the COVID-19 related deaths that have engulfed our country. It cannot be business as usual or what other countries are doing. We need our own strategy as a country.

It is, therefore, important that everyone practises the following three simple actions:

Mandatory wearing a facemask should be a normal part of being around other people;

Maintain at least a two-metre distance between yourself and others (maintain an even greater distance when indoors. The further away, the better); and

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser or wash them with soap and water.

The Health and Child Care ministry, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces alone, will not be able to enforce the above three simple actions.

The 15 million Zimbabweans should all be designated as enforcement agents of these simple health protocols.

Government should declare that every Zimbabwean is compelled to ensure that the next person is wearing a facemask and is maintaining a respectable distance from others.

In order to curb the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, there is need for a cultural revolution and government has the duty to lead in this aspect.