Can we manage the lockdowns better in Zimbabwe?
Archie Moyo
Product, Brand and Operations Solutions Expert | Problem Solver and Strategic Thinker
The economic impact of lockdowns is a very touchy subject. It's very difficult to comment on it without ruffling feathers. At the base of it, I would say we are all affected, some individuals more than others and some industries more than others.
So because of this, I don't know how my next thoughts would be received. This new lockdown that Zimbabwe entered was to me a good thing. It's decisive action to try and flatten the curve, Covid-19 is spreading faster now than it did the whole of 2020, taking more lives on a daily basis. Naturally, restricting movement and human interaction would be a good thing. I have managed to stay home for the entire period, the cabin fever has gotten real.
I feel, while we have a lockdown in place and several restrictions, we need to have a lot of monitoring and evaluation procedures set in place to ensure safety. There are so many cars on the road this time around (most of them justified) that it becomes harder for police roadblocks to effectively restrict the movement of vehicles without adequate permisions. As a result, the risks remain, the curve does not flatten. Yes, these people are travelling to their jobs or to make plans to make money. They can't stay home and wait for starvation right?
When it comes to the organizations that are open, is anyone monitoring them to ensure that the staff has been tested for covid-19? Are there guidelines around how often staff must be tested? Most employers have resorted to letting employees find their own way to work. Is this safe for us the patrons? Would you skip into half the retailers or outlets you go into if you knew how the staff got to work? When they were last tested?
Information
around cases has been made widely available. Twitter and SMS daily let us know
how many new cases and how many deaths were recorded. Without the deaths, is it
possible to have case transparency for organizations? Would that do more harm
than good? Would it be ethical for me to walk in a supermarket without prior
knowledge that the chef who made yesterday's salad tested positive this
morning? That the till operator from the last shift tested positive, should I
know this or are we safer Masking up, sanitizing, and washing our hands?
Pandemic
status is not a joke. Covod-19 has affected us possibly a lot more than what we
see. The family and friends we have lost, the year we lost indoors as a
tradeoff for our breath. While I hope for some of the little things around
service provision during the pandemic and lockdown, we work with what we have.
Stay
safe. Mask up. I mean all the way up! Sanitize!
Entrepreneur | Founder & CEO at Parvitech | Programs Strategist (Education, Health, Climate) | Health Communications Lead | Works with C-Suite Executives | Self-Made Graphic Designer
3yI have noticed 2 gaps in Covid-19 management in Zimbabwe, that the government should adress.... 1. Some organisations and institutions are now contributing in exposing employees and students to the virus. They demand employees to come to work (even when they do not provide essential services). Some universities are forcing students to sit exams while Covid-19 cases are on the rise, in non-fumigated classrooms... 2. I have also realised that some retailers are nolonger using the correct sanitizers at their entrances. Some are rather mixing dish wash liquid with water or something just to appear as sanitizer. There has to be a standard sanitizer that retailers can use... And the government should put measures to monitor the sanitizers that are being used.