Twenty-eight people died of Covid-19 yesterday with 1 331 new cases recorded in one day as the infection and death rates rise to levels not seen since the second wave that started early this year.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the deaths were recorded across the country.
Harare recorded seven whilst Bulawayo stands at six with Midlands also at six, five in Mashonaland West, three in Manicaland and one in Matabeleland North.
Meanwhile the new cases tended to concentrate in the hotspots areas.
Mashonaland West, which holds three of the worst-hit districts, saw 371 new cases, more than a quarter of the total however other provinces in three figures includes Harare which is sitting on 149, Masvingo on 146, Bulawayo on 142 and Manicaland on 108.
Fortunately the one clear piece of good news was the number of recoveries in Mashonaland West, 681, showing evidence that the infection rates are slowing with far more people getting better than falling ill. This tends to suggest that the measures taken more than two weeks ago for a tightly localised lockdown did help slow the rates of infection.
Regrettably, this province was the only one where more people got better than fell ill, and this backs the decision by the government to extend the enhanced Level Four lockdown across the country for at least two weeks to help break the chains of infection.
Almost 17 000 jabs were given yesterday, with 6 452 people getting their first jab and 10 389 their second.