Zimbabwe tightens lockdown measures from tomorrow, introduces dusk to dawn curfew

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa today tightened lockdown measures, including a dusk to dawn curfew, with effect from tomorrow following an increase of 600 coronavirus cases in just one week.

Zimbabwe had recorded 1 713 cases by this morning which means that the country had 1 122 cases in the first 20 days of this month alone.

He said what was more worrying was that local transmissions now exceeded imported ones.

“Another worrisome development is that more and more cases of local transmissions are being reported at places of work. Covid-19 is thus no longer a problem out there, far and beyond our borders; rather, it is now here amongst us and in our communities,” Mnangagwa said.

“This sobering reality means that we can no longer be complacent.”

Mnangagwa said with effect from tomorrow, 22 July, therefore:

1–All non-working sections of our population will be required to stay at home; except for purposes of securing food, water and health services.

Where travel and social contact becomes essential and inevitable, every Zimbabwean should and must uphold the four requirements set out by the World Health Organization, WHO, which are:

1. Wearing masks or equivalent protective materials;
2. Observing strict standards of hygiene, including the washing of hands or use of sanitizers;
3. Mandatory screening in all public places and buildings;
4. Social distancing in all public places and at all times;

2–With effect from tomorrow Wednesday 22 July 2020, all business premises must operate from 0800HRS until 1500HRS, with the exception of providers of essential services.

3—As of tomorrow Wednesday 22 July 2020, all our Security Services must enforce a dusk-to-dawn curfew set to come into force daily between 1800HRS and 0600HRS. Only essential services are exempt from this curfew.

4–All business operations and premises are required to observe and enforce World Health organisation anti-COVID-19 standards which Include observing social distance at workplaces, wearing of masks at all times, regular screenings and strict hygienic standards at workplaces;

5–Only registered SMES which have been allocated workspaces will be allowed to operate, and must comply with the parameters and protocols set by the World Health Organisation.

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