Hosia Mviringi
Government has moved to enforce stricter Covid-19 protocols following a recent spike in infections and deaths as a result of the disease.
In a statement to the media this evening, Health and Child Care Minister Vice President Constantino Guvheya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga revealed that the country has lost a total of 26 lives within the last seven days.
The spike in infections is largely attributed to widespread complacency and laxity in adherence to the stipulated Covid-19 protocols.
As part of a tighter regime of Lockdown measures, effective June 14, 2021, all public gatherings will be prohibited except for funerals which have been limited to a maximum of 30 mourners.
All wakes will be subjected to strict monitoring by health and security personnel to ensure that they don’t become super spreaders for the epidemic.
Workshops and weddings have been banned under the new regulations.
“All workshops and meetings are to be held virtually,” said Vice President Chiwenga.
Market places and Tobacco floors are to open at 0800hrs and close at 1800hrs daily while observing strict health protocols. Failure to adhere to these measure will be met with stiffer penalties that include indefinite closures.
Public transporters are encouraged to stick to a stipulated number of passengers at any given time and to ensure that passengers sanitise and wear face masks at all times.
Companies have been ordered to reduce the number of physical workforce at their premises by 50 per cent except for essential services providers.
Fast foods and restaurants are to serve take-aways only while beer halls and night clubs are to remain closed.
Bottle stores are expected to open at 1000hrs and close at 1600hrs with strictly no consumption of alcohol within or around premises.
VP Chiwenga announced a stricter monitoring regime for those coming from Covid-19 hotspots saying the country will insist on 48 hour PCR Negative Test certificates at all entry points while imposing mandatory self-funded quarantine for travelers coming from hotspot countries.
VP Chiwenga has appealed to the public to avoid travelling to hotspot towns and cities which he indicated will be put under targeted Lockdown once detected.
Health and Child Care Ministry will issue daily updates to inform the nation of infection trends countrywide.
Zimbabweans need to adhere to these latest mechanisms as they are designed to save lives and prevent the country from relapsing back into a full hard Lockdown as this will be detrimental to livelihoods and the economy at large.
The winter season is known to be the peak period for Covid-19 infections as the Coronavirus known to thrive under very cold temperatures. As such citizens are encouraged to keep warm at all times and to go out only when it is extremely necessary.
All necessary measures must be taken to avoid the Covid-19 third wave which has reared its ugly head in many other countries around the SADC region.
Zimbabwe has done well so far in curbing the rapid spread of the virus and so far the country’s vaccination program has earned the country many accolades worldwide with the latest being the thumbs up by the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s downgrading of the country’s Covid-19 risk status to Low risk. This means that travelers can travel to Zimbabwe without mandatory advisory from their governments.
This augurs well for the revival of the tourism sector and the general economic restart that the country desperately needs.
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