BUSINESS and government are on a collision course over the mandatory
coronavirus tests for all employees who returned to work yesterday, which
industry says are expensive and not feasible.
Government through Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 has
since said those that do not comply with the testing regulations, including
social distancing and wearing of face masks during the 14-day extended
lockdown, would face a possible one year jail term.
Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) president
Israel Murefu, said there was no common position on the mandatory testing
imposed on employers by government on two fronts — cost and practicability.
“If you look at capacity, the national response has managed
in more than 30 days to do just 9 000 tests, yet government expects in just 14
days for companies to have tested over a million workers, it’s just not
practical or feasible,” he said.
Murefu said they could also not meet the cost of the tests
with private laboratories, particularly given that most companies have not been
operating for five weeks.
“The cheapest quotation for tests is US$25 and the most
expensive is US$100 (per person). Now for most companies that have not been
operating, there would be no budget for this. While the idea is noble and
business is sympathetic and would want to ensure employees and their families
are safe, the cost is just beyond reach, unless government proposes to include
the cost of testing in the $18 billion stimulus package they are proposing,”
Murefu said.
The Health ministry in a May 3 statement released
“guidelines for the operationalisation on mandatory employee testing of COVID
19 before re-opening of business,” which called on companies to procure testing
kits, essentially unloading the burden of testing to companies.
“To expedite the testing process, companies are encouraged
to procure the COVID-19 rapid test kits for themselves, guided by MHOCC in
terms of test kits specifications. Employers must arrange with the designated
testing facilities (public or private) for their employees to be tested at an
agreed time at the facilities or at the work place,” the guidelines read.
Government released the SI99 of 2020 at the weekend, which
says those that do not comply with the regulations would face a possible
one-year jail term.
“Any person who fails to comply with an order of an
enforcement officer given under this section, or who hinders or obstructs an
enforcement officer from having the access referred to in subsection (6), shall
be guilty of an offence and liable to fine not exceeding level twelve or to
imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both such fine and such
imprisonment.”
It is now mandatory for everyone to wear face masks,
practise social distancing and undergo mandatory testing before going to work.
“Every individual who by this order is permitted to leave
his or her home or to be in any public space must wear a face mask (whether
improvised or manufactured, and whether or not of a standard specified in the
Public Health (Standards for Personal Protective Apparel, Materials and
Equipment) Regulations, 2020, published in Statutory Instrument 92, of 2020),”
reads the SI in part.
In what appears to be confusion in government, the
regulation on the face masks came less than a month after the Health ministry
on March 31 advised the public that face masks were not for persons without
symptoms.
“The ministry would like to advise that, according to
(World Health Organisation) WHO, the wearing of masks in public areas by
persons without symptoms is not recommended.
“In addition to the cost burden, this may create a false
sense of security that can lead to the neglect of other essential preventative
measures. Everyone is, therefore, reminded to practise good personal hygiene,”
the ministry’s statement read.
Attempts to get clarification from the Health ministry were
fruitless yesterday as the permanent secretary Agnes Mahomva was in meetings,
while epidemiology and disease control director Portia Manangazira, referred
all questions to her boss.
“The permanent secretary will be able to give you the
updates on the position on face masks, just call her and she will help,”
Manangazira said. Newsday
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