Harare (New Ziana) – Tightened screening procedures at special Covid-19 checkpoints along highways were being implemented on Tuesday to curtail non-essential movement of people in line with level 2 lockdown regulations, a senior government official has said.

Zimbabwe, which has 203 coronavirus cases, is currently observing level 2 Covid-19 lockdown which was imposed for an indefinite period to curb the spread of the virus.

Under level two lockdown, industry and commerce were allowed to re-open under strict health regulations while informal businesses remain closed.

Bars and gymnasiums also remain closed while inter-city and cross border movement of people remains banned except transportation of cargo.

But lately most people were breaching the lockdown regulations by opening non-essential businesses, including clothing boutiques while street vendors were also gradually making their way back onto city streets.

While commuter omnibuses and unregistered taxis also remain banned, some unruly operators were evading police check points and transporting people against the lockdown regulations.

In light of this, security forces tightened screening measures at check-points on Tuesday, only allowing workers with special permits to proceed to work.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary, Nick Mangwana said the tightened screening measures were only to enforce lockdown regulations.

“Government has not pronounced a change in lockdown regulations. We are still on level two lockdown and permitted economic activity should go ahead. The police are only enforcing the pronounced and gazetted level two conditions,” he said.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) also confirmed that they were out in force to enforce lockdown regulations.

“The ZRP urges members of the public to observe that the country is still under level two national lockdown in order to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. Only essential services, businesses in the formal commercial and industrial sectors were exempted to operate during this period, the rest of the public should stay at home in order for the nation to curtail the increase in new Covid-19 cases being recorded,” the police tweeted.

“Please note that it is not everyone who should be in the CBD (Central Business District)let us all be security and health conscious in view of the increase of Covid-19 cases.”

Employing strict lockdown procedures has helped Zimbabwe limit local transmissions of Covid-19 as so far most cases of the virus are imported.
New Ziana