Mbabane: While the country is eagerly waiting for the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine, the number of new confirmed cases and fatalities had also been showing a downward trend.
According to the daily reports by the Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi, on Friday the country recorded a total of at least 92 new cases and nine (9) new deaths.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases 16 137 while the total number of deaths now stands at 600.
The decline in the number of new cases and deaths is justified by the fact that the number of cases confirmed daily for the past three (3) consecutive days have been below 100 which was something that the country last saw in November.
As the battle against COVID-19 has still not been won, the country is in high hopes as the minister of health announced at the beginning of the week that over 100 000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine were expected late February.
These will be first administered to health care workers who are the first in line of front liners facing the inferno that is COVID-19. Additional vaccines are expected in the month of March and into the second quarter of the year.
On Friday, the Acting Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku said Government has designed a roll-out plan to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccines are properly administered when they arrive. The vaccine rollout plan includes capacity building for health workers and vaccinators, the media and regional health management teams as well as an online registration of COVID-19 vaccination beneficiaries; with health workers given priority due to the risky nature of their jobs.
“Health experts have warned us that the availability of vaccines is not a ticket to relaxed adherence of prevention measures. We still have to wash our hands regularly with running water and soap, wear a face mask correctly at all times in public spaces and avoid unnecessary travel. We remain grateful to our health workers who have taken the brunt of this brutal enemy and put their lives on the line to save ours,” said Masuku.
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