Hosia Mviringi
Government has gazetted amended Covid-19 level four lockdown measures with stiff penalties for violators.
The new regulations took effect on Monday for a period to be continuously reviewed based on infection rates countrywide.
Violators face steep fines, imprisonment and cancelation of trading licences for disregarding the latest restrictions.
Among a cocktail of measures are new trading hours of between 0800hrs to 1600hrs, while bars and night clubs shall remain closed indefinitely.
Companies have ordered to reduce physical workforce by at least 50 per cent while the public is expected to adhere to known precautions such as wearing of masks in public, washing and sanitising of hands and social distancing.
Towns and districts such as Kwekwe, Hurungwe and Kariba districts have been identified as Covid-19 hotspots and as such have been placed on special restrictions which shall be in addition to the other restrictions.
These will be subjected to a curfew of between 1900hrs to 0600hrs. Transit traffic through these towns will be required to satisfy authorities that they will not stop for any reasons within the said towns.
All learning institutions in and around these towns shall remain closed for the duration of the special lockdown.
“Any person who, in Hurungwe district, Kariba district, and Kwekwe district, contravenes any of the special restrictions prescribed by this section, or who refuses to comply with any lawful instruction of an enforcement officer acting to enforce them, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to the penalties as prescribed in section 5(3) of the principal regulations, as if such a person partook in a gathering prohibited by that section,” read the regulations under Statutory Instrument 170 of 2021.
Statutory Instrument 83 of 2020, which is the principal order states that “any person partaking at a gathering or convener thereof who partakes in or convenes a gathering knowing that such gathering is prohibited in terms of subsection (1), or refuses to disperse from a gathering after being ordered to disperse in terms of subsection (2)(a); or refuses to observe the social distancing rule after being ordered to do so in terms of subsection (2)(b); shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level twelve or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year to both such fine and such imprisonment.”
A level 12 fine is $800 000.
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