Schools, colleges and universities will no longer be used as Covid-19 quarantine centres for returnees since they will soon partially re-open, while hundreds of buses and kombis have joined the Zupco fleet to ease transport challenges.
In addition, almost all the more than 3 000 vacant public
sector health posts that were unfrozen in March are now filled with qualified
staff.
Announcing the developments yesterday, Information,
Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, speaking for
the ad hoc Inter-ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19, said stakeholders were now
working out the logistics for safe and secure conditions for children in
examination classes to return to school and final year students to colleges and
universities.
Hostels and student accommodation are being used at several
schools and colleges to quarantine returning citizens and residents but
churches, vocational centres and national youth training centres are now being
identified and assessed to take over.
President Mnangagwa directed in his last national address
that “public exam classes within schools and final year students at colleges
and universities must be allowed to resume but with strict observations of the
stipulated Covid-19 prevention measures”.
In her briefing, Minister Mutsvangwa said those in
quarantine at the educational facilities would stay there until their
compulsory supervised initial quarantine period was finished then the
accommodation would be rehabilitated and disinfected.
Transport challenges have been growing as the formal
economy joins essential services in being exempted from the lockdown.
The independent kombis, which were the backbone of public
transport, have been banned although kombi and bus owners can apply to join the
Zupco fleet as under the already existing franchise arrangement.
The public transport shortages have been worsened by the
necessary social distancing rules, which effectively halve the number of the
passengers in a bus or kombi.
“The ZUPCO fleet (of buses and kombis) has been increased
by between 300 and 800 to meet the public’s growing demand for transport.
“The fleet size will continue to be reviewed to ensure that
there is adequate public transport,’’ she said.
Zimbabwe continues to upgrade its health services to cope
with any outbreak of Covid-19.
“I am pleased to announce that of 3 713 health posts that
were unfrozen in March 2020, 3 539 have been filled. The process of filling the
remaining 174 outstanding is underway. She called upon Zimbabweans to learn to
adapt to the pandemic as a way of curbing its spread.
Speaking at the same occasion, Health and Child Care
Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said there was need for adequate testing facilities.
“We have other platforms that we need to increase such as
the number of suppliers so that we do not depend on one supplier.
“What has been happening is that there is a huge demand
worldwide and therefore Zimbabwe, which is just as a small country, will end up
probably not being given the utmost consideration by other suppliers,” he said.
Herald
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