Tafadzwa Nyikadzino

Government has differed the re-opening of schools and adopted to tighten the current lockdown restrictions as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid 19 in the country following the spike of cases in the past days.

The development will not affect the writing of public exams as government has allowed the exercise to continue. Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa revealed that the government adopted these measures following the spike in COVID-19 locally transmitted cases and the number of deaths recorded.

Sofar Zimbabwe has 1034 confirmed cases and 19 deaths as of yesterday, with Harare and Bulawayo having the highest number of deaths, standing at seven (7) and eight (8), respectively.

“To curb the increase in transmissions as well as deaths from COVID-19, the following measures were adopted: (a) that the current lockdown restrictions will be tightened, while localized lockdowns are introduced in hotspot areas and further opening up of the economy is halted; (b)that testing in communities with high cases of local transmission such as Bulawayo will be increased; (c) that the re-opening of schools shall be deferred pending a review of the situation, while the writing of public examinations continues;(d)that private schools that have already opened without permission will be penalized,” said Mutsvangwa.

Minister Mutsvangwa also revealed that the government will take the sole responsibility to provide transport services for inter-city travelling for those that require to travel to seek medical attention and those travelling from Beit bridge to their provincial isolation centres.

“Government shall have the sole responsibility for inter-city travel for those that really require to travel especially to seek medical attention; and (f) that two (2) buses will be availed to transport those that test positive from Beitbridge to their respective provincial isolation centres,” Mutsvangwa said.

Mutsvangwa also revealed that comprehensive measures were going to be announced by President Mnangagwa on the way forward regarding the country’s response to coronavirus outbreak.