Are Zimbabwe churches violating coronavirus lockdown regulations?

Zimbabwe churches maybe violating the coronavirus lockdown regulations by allowing vaccinated and unvaccinated congregants to mix as the law has not been relaxed, Deputy Health Minister John Mangwiro told the Senate yesterday.

He was responding to a question by Senator Violet Moeketsi who wanted to know whether church congregants, vaccinated or not, could attend church together.

“The day before yesterday, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa said, the lockdown has been extended by two more weeks.  I did not hear him say people who are attending church services should mix up regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not,” Mangwiro said.

“So, I might have missed that if he said it.  Right now, we are encouraging vaccinated people to go, because if you look at the conditions for Level 2 lockdown, nothing has changed.  So, let us be wary of people who just write things as sometimes they write articles which are false or things that bring despondency amongst people.”

Q & A:

HON. SEN. MOEKETSI: My supplementary question to the Minister of Health and Child Care is that when it comes to COVID-19; we understand that vaccinated and unvaccinated people are now allowed to gather during church services.  Before we were told that only vaccinated congregants should attend church services but now everyone is mixing up, vaccinated and unvaccinated.  What do you have to say concerning this issue?  This will lead us to the question of not knowing who was vaccinated or not.  Is it true that church congregants, vaccinated or not can attend church services together?

*HON. DR. MANGWIRO: The day before yesterday, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa said, the lockdown has been extended by two more weeks.  I did not hear him say people who are attending church services should mix up regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not.  So, I might have missed that if he said it.  Right now, we are encouraging vaccinated people to go, because if you look at the conditions for Level 2 lockdown, nothing has changed.  So, let us be wary of people who just write things as sometimes they write articles which are false or things that bring despondency amongst people.  We need to be careful because we need to know what exactly is being talked about.  I thank you.

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