Panic has slowly set in parts of rural Zimbabwe as news of deaths spreads in places where people had previously considered themselves safe from a virus mostly concentrated in the country’s bustling urban areas. Zimbabwe’s vaccination rollout, which started in February, has not prioritized rural areas and there has been a marked shortage of shots outside the cities. This is because rural Zimbabwe is largely inaccessible due to poor roads and a lack of telecommunications. By Thursday last week, 2 million doses had been administered in a country of almost 15 million people. Zimbabwe has received donations and purchased more than 5 million vaccines, mainly China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm. Around 70% of Zimbabwe’s population live in poverty and dilapidated health facilities are themselves in intensive care. Johannes Marisa, a medical practitioner described the third wave as a “disaster,” and blames potential super-spreader events such as funerals for the rise in rural areas.
SOURCE: CNN