Zimbabweans heed Covid-19 lockdown

Harare(New Ziana)-Zimbabweans on Monday heeded a 21- day lockdown meant to curb the further spread of Covid-19 by staying at home.

In the capital, streets were virtually empty save for a few exempted people mainly those working in critical sectors such as health.

However in high density areas, a few people ignored the order and were moving about while some children were playing in the streets.

At shopping centres, while most shops were closed, a few people could be seen milling around mostly near beer outlets which apparently were selling through back doors as some of the patrons could be seen drinking.

Also a few vegetables vendors were displaying their wares while keeping an eye out for law enforcement agents.

Commuter omnibus operators also heeded the order to suspend business for the next three weeks while a few Zimbabwe United Passenger Company mini-buses could be seen on the roads.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa ordered a total Covid-19 lockdown in Zimbabwe for 21 days from midnight Sunday to arrest the Covid-19 spread.

So far, seven Covid-19 cases have been recorded, including a single fatality.

But President Mnangagwa was on the strength of medical advice that infections could spike in the approaching winter if drastic precautionary action was not taken immediately.

As a result, the shut down was ordered, the boldest precautionary measure the government has taken against the raging pandemic which has killed over 20 000 people around the world and stricken hundreds of thousands of others.

Under the lockdown, only medical staff and employees in critical sectors such as energy, retail, food and water will be allowed to go to work.

Until now, government had only ordered a partial lockdown of its services by permitting a third of its 300 000 workforce to be reporting for work at any given time.

New Ziana