Last week, the government blamed sects of the Apostolic Churches for the upsurge in infections, saying measles was widely spread among people who had not been vaccinated.
The total number of suspected cases nationwide rose from 1,036 to 2,056 in four days, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told a post-cabinet briefing.
Most of the reported cases relate to children aged six months to 15 years from religious sects who do not believe in vaccination.
“It was noted that most of the cases did not receive the vaccination to protect against measles. The government invoked the Civil Protection Unit Act to deal with this emergency,” Mutsvangwa said.
As the health minister steps up his vaccination program before schools open in September, the government has sought the support of traditional and religious leaders, she added.
The measles outbreak is likely to put further strain on Zimbabwe’s health sector, which has long suffered from a shortage of medicines and strikes by health workers.