by Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday warned that the long arm of the law will catch up with abusers of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Posting on his Twitter handle, the President emphasised that vaccination is being done for free and no one should pay to be protected.

“Access to Covid-19 vaccine is a human right, and no Zimbabwean should have to pay to be protected. Any individual caught profiteering from the vaccination programme shall be prosecuted accordingly,” said the President.

Zimbabwe began its vaccination programme last month using 200 000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines donated by China.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun promised another 200 000 vaccine donation. Zimbabwe will also buy an additional 1.2 million vaccine doses from China.

The vaccination programme is being carried in three phases starting with frontline workers at significantly high risk of Covid-19 who include health care and funeral parlour workers, immigration, customs, security and ports of entry personnel.

The second round of the vaccination rollout will cater for lecturers, all school staff population and other staff at medium risk depending with an epidemiological picture of the disease, while the third round will target those at relatively low risk until everyone is covered.

Meanwhile, as at 03 March 2021 the country had 36 179 confirmed cases including 33 392 recoveries and 1 478 deaths.