COLUMBIA - Health care professionals are fighting the deadly COVID-19 virus while struggling with their own mental health as we near the year mark of the pandemic.Â
The COVID-19 pandemic has exhausted health care professionals around the globe with long hours and an overwhelming number of patients in hospitals and intensive care units. Burrell Behavioral Health s Chief Medical Officer explained how her own mental health was worsened by the ongoing health crisis. Health care workers have had a parallel pandemic going on with the mental health crisis, Dr. Garima Singh said. We ve been through phases of emotions starting with fear, nervousness and denial of not knowing what s going to happen to feelings of exhaustion and being overwhelmed. Â
Concerns over AstraZeneca vaccine disrupts vaccination campaigns
On
DR Congo postpones roll-out
By Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna
The spate of concerns over COVID-19 vaccines and the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, in particular, is fast constituting a threat to vaccination campaign plans globally.
Not less than 20 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, have either suspended or postponed their COVID-19 vaccination campaign plans.
The key concerns are the cases of bleeding, blood clots, and low platelet counts among people who received the AstraZeneca shot.
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) reviews the available vaccine data and addresses the concerns, global health experts are under increasing pressure to clear up questions over the safety of the AstraZeneca shot, just as more countries in Europe fully or partially suspended their use of the vaccine in a further blow to Europe’s vaccination rollout.
Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa made the announcement at a post-cabinet media brief in Harare Tuesday.
“Restaurants are now allowed to open for sit-ins at 50% sitting capacity, under strict adherence to Covid-19 guidelines,” said Mutsvangwa.
“Those found breaking the restrictions will be closed immediately.”
The announcement is likely to be received with joy as restaurant owners were dismayed by government’s decision to maintain a ban on customer sit-ins under the then Covid-19 measures when most sectors were opened two weeks ago.
Restaurant Operators Association of Zimbabwe (RAOZ) leadership recently told NewZimbabwe.com that its members have been paying full licence fees, despite being closed or only partially open for takeaways.
CHANDIGARH: During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual Covid review meeting with chief ministers of all states, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Centre to review its immunization strategy to vaccinate all age groups in selected areas, while announcing a stricter policy to deal with the problem.
He pointed out that the state finance minister Manpreet Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Badal had also tested positive for coronavirus.
“We are making a policy, we will get stricter from tomorrow,” he added.
Active Covid cases in Punjab have surged to 12,616, with daily positivity rate climbing to over 5%.
Amarinder called for occupation-based immunization for school and college students and teachers, judges, bus drivers and conductors, sarpanches, mayors, counsellors, MLAs, MPs to pave the way for normalization of crucial activities and check super-spreaders.
Amnesty to decongest prisons
Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services. Minister Monica Mutsvangwa flanked by Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana (right) and Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda during a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare yesterday. Picture : Justin Mutenda
Cabinet received an update on the Covid-19 Outbreak, which was presented by the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs as chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the Covid-19 Outbreak.
Cabinet was informed that as of 12 March, 2021 Zimbabwe’s cumulative Covid-19 cases stood at 36 423, with 33 996 recoveries and 1 496 deaths. The recovery rate is 93 percent, with 34 722 cases attributed to local transmission. There are 931 active cases, and the cumulative number of infected Health Care Workers has rises from 4 008 to 4 210 with 18 deaths. Cabinet noted that preparations for the opening of schools have reached an advanced stage with examinations classes having as opene