THIRTEEN nurses were arrested yesterday at Sally Mugabe
Central Hospital, formerly Harare Central Hospital, for allegedly contravening
Covid-19 lockdown regulations .
Most of them were fined between $200 and $500. Police said
the nurses were arrested for violating regulations relating to social
distancing and for not wearing face masks.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi confirmed the arrests saying: “We have arrested 13 nurses at Sally
Mugabe Central Hospital for contravening Covid-19 lockdown regulations which
relate to social distance guidelines. They were fined amounts ranging between
$200 and $500.”
Government has banned all political rallies and
demonstrations, among other forms of public gatherings, in a bid to contain the
spread of Covid-19.
Nurses, mainly those at central and provincial hospitals,
withdrew their labour on June 18 and continued to boycott work yesterday
claiming they were incapacitated. However, a number of nurses at district level
were still reporting for duty.
Following industrial action by nurses last month, the
Health Services Board said the 50 percent pay rise and the US$75 Covid-19
allowances awarded by Government were a temporary arrangement to cushion
Government workers while salary negotiations continued.
HSB chairperson Dr Paulinas Sikhosana said they were
waiting for guidance from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on
the potential Government offer to be taken for the actual negotiations with
health workers’ representatives.
Health workers have welcomed the cushioning allowance by
Government but say they need to be treated differently from the rest of the civil
service since they have been reporting for duty during the Covid-19 lockdown
while the bulk of their counterparts have been home on full pay since end of
March. Herald
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