HARARE (News of The South) – Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended the Covid-19 lockdown for an indefinite period.
The southern African nation has to date recorded 42 confirmed cases of Covid-19 including 13 recoveries and 4 deaths.
“Zimbabwe will therefore continue on the level 2 lockdown for an indefinite period. We shall have regular two- week interval reviews to assess progress or lack of it. This should give us more time to strengthen the prevention and case management approach for the various risk populations,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the lockdown had contributed to the reduced number of local transmission of Covid-19 hence the need to “continue with that trajectory”.
On the opening of schools and colleges, President Mnangagwa said these would remain closed but a phased reopening would be carried out, starting with exam classes.
“As previously stated, public exam classes within schools and final year students at colleges and universities must be allowed to continue, recognising however, the stipulated Covid-19 prevention measures.
“Meanwhile clear plans of the phased re-opening of schools must continue to be put in place,” he said.
All businesses and industries seeking to re-open, he said, should follow laid down measures previously announced in relation to social distancing, hand sanitization and temperature checking.
“Shops and supermarkets should continue to enforce the social distancing of their customers. The operating times of all businesses have been adjusted to be from 8 am to 4.30 pm,” he said.
Informal markets will however remain closed.
Commuter omnibuses and unregistered taxis also remain banned while the country would introduce mandatory testing of all cross border truck drivers.
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