Police commanders countrywide have been directed to
intensify the enforcement of lockdown regulations, resulting in a number of
people being turned away from Harare city centre if they failed to present
employment exemption letters or medical documents to warrant being outdoors.
Zimbabwe’s total of confirmed cases rose to 2 296
yesterday, with four more deaths, taking the number of fatalities to 32,
according to the daily report from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The number of new cases was 172, with 152 of them local
infections and 79 of these from the Midlands, now a third focus of infection
after Bulawayo and Harare. But of these 152 local cases, the source is known in
90.
Both Bulawayo deaths were men with other illnesses. The
Harare death is a person testing positive on July 14 and dying from respiratory
failure and acute kidney injury on July 17, while the Midlands death was a man
with other medical conditions.
Bulawayo remains the hardest hit province with 569 known
local infections and 15 deaths, followed by Harare with 283 confirmed
infections and 10 deaths and Midlands now with 147 confirmed local infections
and three deaths.
South Africa has now confirmed 6 093 deaths from 408 052
confirmed infections.
Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga yesterday said
the intensification of enforcement was
designed to protect people from Covid-19 and he warned that those who wilfully
breach the regulations face the law.
“My office has directed police commanders to ensure that
patrols, roadblocks, checkpoints and awareness campaigns are intensified in all
provinces for the security, safety and health of Zimbabweans,” said Comm Gen
Matanga.
“Zimbabweans should take note that public gatherings for
social activities remain banned as announced by President Mnangagwa. Religious
gatherings are to be of 50 or less congregants and be held between 8am and 3pm
with strict adherence to World Health Organisation (WHO) Covid-19 protocols.
“May I also caution the public against trying to negotiate
or influence officers to allow them to illegally pass through checkpoints as
this compromises the integrity of uniformed services and the fight against
Covid-19. There will be no excuse for non-compliance.”
He said citizens were reminded to be home by 6pm, adding
that there will be no excuses for non-compliance, except for those who will be
providing essential services.
Commuter omnibus operators, bottle stores, shebeen
operators and anyone else who violates the regulations will be arrested.
Private transporters, especially those that own kombis,
have been removing registration numbers or putting private registration number
plates so that they carry passengers early morning and in the evening, in
contravention of lockdown regulations which indicate that only Zupco buses are
allowed to carry fare-paying passengers.
Said Comm-Gen Matanga: “Kombis which are removing number
plates and carrying passengers in violation of Covid-19 regulations will be
impounded, with the owners facing stern action.”
He called on commercial and manufacturing enterprises
including supermarkets, vegetable markets, food retail shops, banks and those
in the informal sector with relevant permits to stick to their operating hours
of 8am to 3pm to avoid clashes with law enforcement officers.
Yesterday there was low activity in Harare’s city centre as
many people deemed not to be providers of essential services or working in
ordinary exempted businesses were turned back home.
Some motorists and pedestrians were turned back while
some Zupco buses, especially those from
Chitungwiza, could not take passengers into the city centre, with passengers
being dropped at the Flyover Bus Stop where they underwent rigorous checks.
Simon Mazorodze Road, Seke Road and other major roads
leading to the city centre were heavily congested as police thoroughly vetted
people.
From mid-morning, some retailers operating in Harare’s
downtown area had closed shop, since although exempted few of their customers
could get time off work and travelling to the city centre for shopping is not
permitted.
However, it was business as usual at most supermarkets as
people bought various goods without hassles, while informal traders in St Mary’s, Chitungwiza, Mbudzi Roundabout and
Mbare
Farmers Market, were busy operating, without observing
social distance. Mr Tinashe Muramba of Eyecourt, Harare, praised police for
enforcing the lockdown regulations.
“It is good that the lockdown is being taken seriously. The
number of Covid-19 cases has increased drastically and now I am realising the
disease is real. It is better if we suspend some of the activities to save
lives,” he said.
In Mutare, there was increased police presence on
roadblocks leading to the city centre, although the volumes of people in the
CBD remained high.
Those with exemption letters were allowed into the CBD but
long queues at banks were witnessed from morning until after lunch, and in most
cases there was no social distancing.
Traffic into supermarkets also remained high.
Manicaland Provincial Covid-19 taskforce chairperson Dr
Ellen Gwaradzimba said the high numbers of people moving around was worrisome.
She called on security forces to tighten the enforcement of
Covid-19 regulations to eliminate unnecessary movement.
Under lockdown rules gazetted at the end of March, those
not working in essential or exempted entities are not supposed to leave home
except to shop for food, collect water and seek medical attention, as President
Mnangagwa reminded everyone this week.
Under existing rules, everyone must wear masks outside of
homes; everyone must be screened when entering public places and buildings;
social distancing must be observed; public transport passengers must be
screened and sanitised on boarding, with buses disinfected between round trips.
Herald
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