HARARE – Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who doubles as health minister, assured the nation of a constant supply of Covid-19 vaccines on Tuesday as government announced that the more transmissible South African variant is now the most dominant in Zimbabwe, accounting for 61 percent of infections.

Chiwenga said vaccines will be delivered from manufacturers every two weeks to ensure an uninterrupted vaccination drive, which begins with frontline workers on Thursday, February 18.

“We are going to bring vaccines into the country after every two weeks to make sure there is no break in inoculation,” Chiwenga assured lawmakers.

He said the voluntary immunisation rollout targeting 10 million Zimbabweans or 60 percent of the population will come with a US$6,7 million price tag.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa also confirmed during a press briefing what health experts had long suspected: that the so-called “501.YV2” South Africa variant, which spreads faster and is more deadly, has gained massive traction in Zimbabwe while the original strain had subsided.

“Accordingly, the nation now needs to be more vigilant than before and adhere to Covid-19 prevention and control measures,” Mutsvangwa counseled.

Zimbabwe will kick off its immunization campaign against the respiratory pandemic on Thursday after taking delivery of 200,000 Sinopharm doses donated by the Chinese government.

An additional 600,000 doses secured through direct purchase will arrive in March.

But critics say there isn’t adequate data suggesting the Chinese vaccine is effective against the South African variant now dominant in Zimbabwe.

Still, government says it is pressing ahead with the vaccinations.

Chiwenga said health officials had started training instructors ahead of the rollout, who will in turn train foot soldiers who will administer the shots in all the provinces.

A total of 40 provincial and district health executives, city health, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Prison officers are being trained to undertake the exercise.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended the national lockdown by another two weeks on Monday, saying while Covid-19 infections appeared to be tapering off, Zimbabwe was not out of the woods yet.