The Zimbabwean government is concerned about the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country, which are being caused by the Omicron strain, and aims to prevent unvaccinated people from using public transportation.

"Cabinet notes with concern that there has been a sharp increase in the average total number of new cases reported per day over the past two weeks," Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said at a post-cabinet media briefing on Tuesday. "As a result, the government will scale up vaccination and tighten measures to curb the spread of the virus," she said. According to reports, the number of Covid daily cases has climbed dramatically in the last week, from 40 on November 28 to 2,555 on Monday.

According to Mutsvangwa, the government will set up vaccination stations at the key intra-city and inter-city bus terminals so that people who have not been vaccinated can obtain vaccine shots voluntarily before boarding. Those who do not have a valid vaccination card will eventually be denied access to public transportation, she said, adding that the ministries of health and education will continue to work together on school vaccinations for the 16-17 year old age group.

According to official data, the country's total Covid-19 cases remained at 141,601 as of Monday, with 128,966 recoveries and 4,713 deaths. The first jab was given to 3,882,255 people, and the second jab was given to 2,892,366 people. By the end of the year, Zimbabwe hopes to have vaccinated 60% of the population.

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