Schools re-opening and the COVID-19 response in Zimbabwe : the need for evidence-based decision making

Abstract

Most governments, including the government of Zimbabwe (GoZ), are currently implementing measures to further curb the spread and mitigate against the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on the population. This is more so as more transmissible variants, including most recently, the Omicron variant continue to emerge. In Zimbabwe, the COVID-19 Inter-sectoral Operational Plan provides the guiding framework for national COVID-19 responses. In January 2022, the GoZ announced the indefinite postponement of the re-opening of schools as one of the measures to control the ongoing Omicron variant-driven fourth wave [1]. Given that the government allowed other socioeconomic activities to go on, including informal trading markets where adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures is compromised, the delay in the opening of schools has faced intense criticism. Efforts aimed at averting potential catastrophic impacts of increased transmission are commendable; however, the delay in the opening of schools may have wider-reaching consequences on the children. In this correspondence, we outline some evidence-based considerations to inform the decision to promptly re-open schools.