OVER 300 people had, by Wednesday, been arrested in
Bulawayo for public drinking, while 15 bar owners were also detained for
operating after hours in violation of Covid-19 regulations.
According to regulations, members of the public are allowed
to buy beer and drink at home but defiant bars and nightclubs in the city are
allowing patrons to drink in the bars until late at night thereby risking
spreading the virus.
The arrests, according to police, were made from last week
Friday. Acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga
Msebele said those who were arrested were fined.
“There were over 300 people arrested for public drinking
from last week Friday until today (Wednesday). On top of that, we have arrested
15 owners of beerhalls and bottle stores for operating after hours, permitting
patrons to drink inside the bottle store and beerhall,” said Asst Insp Msebele.
Ass Insp Msebele urged people and bar owners to adhere to
regulations aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19.
“We’d like to urge people and bar owners not to flout
Covid-19 regulations. They should operate within the law so that they don’t
find themselves on the wrong side of the law,” said Asst Insp Bulawayo’s night
life, has of late, since bars and restaurants were given the green light to
reopen, come alive, with hordes of people looking for fun.
Outside bottle stores in the city, the story is the same as
many people congregate and drink their fill, clearly flouting regulations,
oblivious of the dangers of Covid-19.
The city has recorded an increase in new Covid-19 cases and
now has the highest number of active cases in the country.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care,
Bulawayo has almost half of the country’s active Covid-19 cases at 123 while
the national figure stood at 269 as of Tuesday. The city has recorded 52
deaths.
In council’s weekly top 10 Covid-19 hotspots log sheet,
Bulawayo’s city centre is a Covid-19 hotspot with 27 active cases, while
Entumbane and Nkulumane lead with three deaths each from Covid-19. The most
recent death (one) was on Sunday.
Of the total active Covid-19 cases in Bulawayo, seven are
in Mpopoma and three in Entumbane. Worldwide, the opening of bars and leisure
spots has been identified as the root cause of spikes in new infections.
According to NewStatesman newspaper, the United Kingdom’s
chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, informed MPs that the number of Covid-19
patients in intensive care in northern England might surpass the April peak —
and that one of the main culprits was the hospitality industry.
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