Covid-19 and Parties amongst Zimbabweans in the UK
By Todd Maforimbo.
London. (News Of The South) – Over the last 2
weeks there’s been a dramatic increase in social events among the Zimbabwean community in the UK. There have been parties, barbecues and other social gatherings at which all current guidelines on the Covid-19 Pandemic have not been adhered to and there are surely going to be consequences.
Only a few days ago, the WHO reported a spike in Covid-19 cases and those who follow the news would also have noticed that “The Donald” aka President Trump has begun to wear a mask in public; the threat is real.
What really saddens me is that as Zimbabweans we have lost many of our own in the UK to this Pandemic and being part of the BAME community, we are at a higher risk with less chance of survival and the statistics support this assertion. It’s even more painful that with the high number of medical professionals from Zimbabwe, we are blatantly and recklessly disregarding safety measures. Maybe we are working in the health profession as a last resort or because we feel there is no choice, but regardless of how we have ended up there, we still need to uphold some of the values instilled in us during training. We should be looking to preserve lives and not put them at risk.
We pride ourselves in having access to all the latest facilities and advanced technology, but our behaviour on the other hand doesn’t instil much confidence. How then can we be of example and of benefit to those who look up to us and are currently in Zimbabwe facing a real life and death situation in the Covid-19 situation. In case you were not aware, the Chinese have begun to remove their nationals and return them to Beijing in preparation for the worst possible outbreak in Zimbabwe. South Africa has over 300 000 confirmed cases, ranking among the top affected places in the world and Zimbabwe is only a stone throw away. How then can we teach our loved ones the techniques to cope when we don’t practice what we learn in a 1st world country?
It is really sad to observe these practices knowing very well that there will be consequences. There is no known vaccine or treatment hence the current government guidelines the world over. We are not super human and just because Zimbabwe is alphabetically last in the list of countries doesn’t guarantee that Covid-19 will leave us until the end. Covid-19 doesn’t segregate and it is definitely causing real panic.
In the UK, you’ll no longer be able to enter a retail outlet without wearing a mask from July 24th, let’s understand what that means. This virus is far from over, and until a vaccine or cure is found, let’s consider one another.
Let’s learn to respect each other’s lives and remember, wearing a mask has been proven to reduce the distance travelled by droplets. Protect me as I protect you, let’s live long and enjoy life more. We can’t afford to sacrifice tomorrow for the enjoyment of the here and now. It’s not worth it. We are counting on you, our Zimbabwean medical professionals to take the lead and help us to preserve our lives. You are your brother’s keeper.
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