Nyusi confirms Mozambique now gripped by fourth wave of pandemic – AIM

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Nyusi confirms Mozambique now gripped by fourth wave of pandemic – AIM

6:31 CAT | 20 Dec 2021

Image: Miramar

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Monday confirmed that Mozambique is now in the grip of the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, although the pandemic in southern Africa is still dominated by the delta variant.

Addressing the nation, Nyusi said that, in the past four weeks, the number of new Covid-19 cases in Mozambique had risen from just 32 cases a week to 5,955 cases in the past week. Over the same period, the positivity rate (the percentage of people tested found to be carrying the virus) had risen from 0.4 per cent to 24.4 per cent.

But so far there has been no dramatic increase in the number of hospitalisations or of deaths. The number of Covid-19 deaths in Mozambique since the start of the pandemic remains 1,952.

Nyusi stressed the importance of vaccination to halt the spread of Covid-19. Earlier in the year, the main constraint on the Mozambican vaccination campaign was the shortage of vaccines. That has now been overcome, and Mozambique has enough vaccines in stock, or in transit to the country, to vaccinate everybody over the age of 18.

5.4 million people were already fully vaccinated, which was 32 per cent of the government’s target. Nyusi insisted that the vaccines available prevent serious illness and hospitalization, regardless of which variant of the coronavírus is being treated.

He urged all those not yet vaccinated to make their way to the nearest vaccination post a quickly as possible. “There is no reason not to!”, he exclaimed. “All adults should be vaccinated”. Fortunately, the anti-vaccination hysteria spread by right-wing circles in Europe and America is so far absent from Mozambique.

Nyusi said that, in the near future, the government will restrict public services to citizens who have been vaccinated, although the exact way this will be done is still being worked out.

All the restrictive measures imposed in October will remain in force for another 30 days, the President announced, with a few exceptions. Thus the curfew, in force in all cities and municipalities from midnight to 04.00 every day, will be lifted on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

But all visits to prisons will be suspended for a month. “We have to protect the prison population”, said Nyusi.

Visits to patients in hospital will be reduced from two visitors per patient to just one a day.

All the other measures remain unchanged. Thus the number of people who are allowed to attend religious services remains 100 in closed spaces, and 250 in the open air. But in no cases should the audience exceed 50 per cent of the capacity of the place of worship.

The number of people who may attend funerals stays at 50 – but, if the deceased died from Covid-19, the limit remains ten.

Public swimming pools may operate at 50 per cent of their capacity, while the limit on audiences at cinemas, theatres, concerts and the like remains 40 per cent of capacity. Limits on the numbers who may visit museums and art galleries have been entirely removed.

Shopping centres can close at 20.00 on weekdays, and at 18.00 on Sundays and holidays. The same applies to informal stalls and kiosks – but they may not sell alcoholic drinks. Bottle stores may close at 18.00 rather than 15.00 Mondays to Saturdays, but must remain closed on Sundays and holidays.

The number of people who may attend private social events (such as birthday or wedding parties) remains 50 in enclosed spaces, and 100 in the open.

21 named beaches remain closed. These are the best known and most popular beaches – but there are many other beaches that are not closed, and can be reached by people willing to travel a little further.

Nyusi warned that these measures may be tightened or relaxed at any moment, depending on how the pandemic develops. Drastic measures could still be taken “in order to save human lives”.

Parties in the coming festive season “should be restricted to the minimum of participants”, he urged. It was not a good idea to spend Christmas and New Year drinking and dancing with strangers.

Source: AIM