Strict control of people’s movements will be enforced as Zimbabwe returns to Level Four lockdown from today, with the Government seeing the 30-day tightening of the lockdown as the best way to rein in the spike in infections threatening to overwhelm health services.
Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and
Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said yesterday that while there had been progressive easing
of the lockdown since the introduction of tough Level Five on March 31 last
year, it was necessary to return to more intense measures to contain the spike
in infections.
As rates of Covid-19 infection started falling fast, the
Government was able to scale down lockdown conditions.
“This was being done in a very measured and deliberate way
leading to the reopening of our land borders by 1 December 2020. This reopening
only lasted exactly a month and it was felt our numbers were spiralling out of
control.
“Globally, there was also a new strain in the UK and South
Africa as well as new waves of infections in many countries. Our own infection
and death rates were rising exponentially and Government took a very proactive
decision to contain this before it overwhelmed our health services which are
still in recovery mode. The only way to contain these soaring numbers was to
take our regime back to Level 4 lockdown,” he said.
Under Level Four, all essential services and much of the
productive sector in agriculture, mining and manufacturing can continue
operating, with staff allowed to go to and from work, but not to have freedom
to travel on personal business.
The return to Level Four was legally gazetted in a brief
amendment to lockdown regulations on Saturday by Health and Child Care Minister
Vice President Chiwenga. By law, all public health matters are handled by the
Health Minister.
Mr Mangwana dealt with the operational problem of
identifying those in essential services and the permitted productive sectors.
In the last use of a Level Four lockdown, fake documents
were common and police at checkpoints had great difficulty determining who was
genuinely in one of the groups permitted to travel to and from work.
Basically two documents were now required, a letter from
the relevant ministry certifying that the company or employer is permitted to
operate during a Level Four lockdown and a specific letter from the employer giving
details of work-related travel.
“People that are going be working, providing essential
services certainly need to be identified as such. Even members of the National
Taskforce will be carrying IDs identifying them as such otherwise everyone who
is not supposed to be up and about can claim to be providing an essential
service,” said Mr Mangwana.
“One needs a letter from the line ministry identifying
their industry or company as a provider of essential services, then a letter
from work providing information of where they are going and for what purpose.”
Following the review and announcement of new measures on
the national lockdown by Acting President Kembo Mohadi and Minister of Health
and Child Care Vice President Chiwenga, new guidelines have been issued. Companies
had to abide by the lock down regulations in the relevant statutory
instruments.
Companies in the manufacturing, distribution, wholesale,
retail, commerce, tourism and hospitality industry were advised to make use of
the lockdown exemption letters previously issued by Ministries of Industry and
Commerce and of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry for the next
seven working days during which the companies were supposed to renew the
letters, said Mr Mangwana
Companies were supposed to give their employees individual
letters accompanied by the exemption letter from the relevant Ministry. The
letter should state the following the the name of the employee name and
national identification number; the points of commute so that workers only
travelled for work, company line of business and working hours and shifts where
necessary.
Vice chairman of the Ad Hoc Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on
Covid-19 Professor Amon Murwira yesterday warned the public against unnecessary
movement saying the Government would be stricter in enforcing and monitoring
adherence to regulations.
The influx of returning residents beginning last month,
especially from South Africa, threatened to negate Zimbabwe’s successes in
containing the pandemic resulting in the return to tougher measures announced
on Saturday.
Since November 1 cases have almost doubled from 8 374 to 15
829 as of yesterday with 29 deaths being recorded in the past week bringing the
total number of fatalities to 384.
Professor Murwira said the security services had been
directed to monitor adherence to measures announced by the Government.
“Lockdowns are our best way forward in combating this
virus. If we restrict movement, we believe in 30 days those who are infected
would have been identified, assisted to recuperate and will not be spreading
the virus when they are staying at home.”
“Zimbabwe has been largely successful in terms of
compliance. We are doing a team Zimbabwe and as long as we have stopped the
virus from circulating we would have succeeded in containing this virus,” he
said.
“Those who are supposed to be in town and to go to work are
the only one who will be allowed movement. This time we are going to be
stricter. The security services said they are ready to enforce adherence.
“Again we want to be very clear that these measures are not
being put in place to punish people but to protect citizens from the global
pandemic,” said Minister Murwira.
In a statement yesterday, national police spokesperson
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi reiterated that only those in the permitted
groups would gain access past the checkpoints and roadblocks and urged the
public to cooperate with security services.
“The public is therefore implored to take head of
Government’s Covid-19 national lockdown level four measures and restrictions
and stay at home except movement to access food and medicines.”
At the same time police would be enforcing the measures
that have been in place since the beginning of the lockdown, at all its levels,
including earing of masks and social distancing.
“Police will effect arrests on anyone who will be found in public
places such as supermarkets, banks, pick-up points and others not wearing, or
improperly putting on, masks and not practising social distancing,” said Ass
Comm Nyathi in statement.
He said members of the media were classified as essential
services and were compelled to use their press cards for identification. If
they encountered problems they could
contact the Information Ministry, Police General Headquarters and the officers
commanding provinces.
Ass Comm Nyathi also clarified the issue of other permitted
services and businesses saying police would accept letters from the Ministry of
Industry and Commerce.
“Members of the public, entities in the essential services
sector such as food distribution and retailers, mining, communication and
telecommunication, agricultural production, security companies and companies as
pronounced by the Government and the media are advised that after consultations
with the Covid-19 Ministerial Taskforce, movement and exemption letters will
only be issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.”
Concerns have been raised about law enforcement agents who
do not perform their duties diligently, but the Commissioner-General of Police
Godwin Matanga has said dereliction of duty by members will not be tolerated.
This follows yesterday’s suspension of four police officers
based in Mbare for letting an illegal musical show go ahead on New Year’s Eve
in defiance of even the level two Covid-19 measures in force at that time.
Health expert, Professor Solwayo Ngwenya, applauded the
Government for returning to a stiffer lockdown period.
“Lockdowns are essential. They are very critical in slowing
down the spread of infection and this is very important to prevent the
healthcare facilities from being overwhelmed.
“It gives Government time to strategise on combating the
virus. The virus is here for some time. “What is important is to keep it
slowing down and not allow it to spiral out of control,” said Prof Ngwenya.
Prof Ngwenya said health authorities had been imploring the
Government to tighten restrictions following a spike in infections. Herald
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