Link to Article: “‘Overwhelmed, overrun’: Zimbabwe tightens COVID restrictions”
Due to a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, Zimbabwe has been pushed to increase restrictions, heading back towards another lockdown. Recent changes such as extended curfew, limited business activity, and a ban on gatherings have been made in efforts to stop the increase of new cases. In a single week, the nation reported 1,342 COVID cases, including 29 deaths. Besides the ban on non-essential business activities, the Zimbabwean government is still allowing airlines to continue operating, with all passengers, leaving and entering, required to show proof of negative test results. Lastly, the reopening of schools has been postponed because of the high numbers of cases, as well as a storm that recently affected the region.
With Zimbabwe’s already struggling healthcare system, the pandemic is sure to take a toll on the nation. Prior to the pandemic, Zimbabwe began to see strikes by healthcare workers due to poor wages. This issue was largely ignored by the government and left the nation entering the pandemic in weak condition. With limited healthcare access, treatments for COVID have been delayed, further increasing the spread throughout the country. Due to the struggling system, Zimbabwe’s efforts to halt the pandemic through strict lockdowns are vital. If treatment isn’t readily available throughout the country, keeping people isolated and distanced should help cases decrease. Furthermore, Zimbabwe’s economy been in crisis over recent years, and despite the government’s implementations of programs to help recover it, the pandemic’s forced lockdowns are evidently going to push the economy back into recession.
This conflict regards both the political sphere are the geography of Zimbabwe and its surrounding countries in southern Africa. The Republic of Zimbabwe’s leaders and government neglect of the healthcare system led to the massive increase in covid cases. Due to its geography and location, the virus may spread to surrounding countries, such as Mozambique and Botswana, leading to further conflict in the region.