Public Story
Viral Complexity
Entangled in the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m caught between staying safe and providing in-depth coverage of the pervasive effects of the novel coronavirus. To explore the intricate layers of this dilemma, I use reflections as my mask to protect myself while documenting the daily life in and around the city without engaging with the subjects, as I would normally do. Each city in Zimbabwe has its own very unique traits and challenges when faced with the global pandemic. The success or failure of curbing COVID-19 thus depends on the strength and fragility of its health system, as well as its economic and political landscape.
Due to the drought and a severe economic crisis, more than half of Zimbabwe’s 14 million people are food insecure. Zimbabwe’s lockdown has brought to the fore inequalities, as the majority of the urban poor who depend on informal work has been unable to earn a living.
Despite using the security forces, it is proving impossible for the government to keep hungry citizens locked down at home.
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