GOVERNMENT has with immediate effect put Kwekwe on a localized two-week lockdown to avert the spread of the deadly Indian Covid-19 variant which was recently detected in the town.
The lockdown effective today, May 21, comes with curfew for all Kwekwe residents which will start at 7PM and end at 6AM.
Part of lockdown recommendation include the immediate ban of weddings, church services and other public and private groupings.
All funerals in Kwekwe, under the strict lockdown once approved will be supervised by health workers and should not gather more than 30 people.
In a statement the Vice President who is also the Health and Child Care Minister Dr Constantino Chiwenga said the localised lockdown was part of measures by the Government to contain the spread of Covid-19.
He said:
– lockdown for two weeks effective May 21
-Curfew from 7PM to 6AM
– all public gatherings including church, weddings, public and private gatherings banned
-business hours to run from 8AM to 5PM
– no visitors to all boarding schools and all day schools to observe strict Covid-19 protocols
-funerals will be supervised by health personnel and should not gather more than 30 people
– travellers through Kwekwe advised to spend all little time as possible in Kwekwe during lockdown period
– all beer gardens, bottle stores, bars to be closed
Since the onset of the Indian variant, the Ministry tightened case investigations and contact tracing in Kwekwe to stop the spread of the variant.
“We quarantined positive cases and close contacts of those who had tested positive. There was also disinfection of supermarkets, Amaveni dumpsite, National test seed pavements and old Gokwe Road,” said VP Chiwenga.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is reclassifying the highly contagious triple-mutant Covid variant spreading in India as a variant of concern, indicating that it’s become a global health threat.
According to WHO, a variant can be labelled as of concern if it has been shown to be more contagious and more deadly.
Uganda was the first country In Africa to confirm the presence of the variant first identified in India late last year in a sample taken from a traveller.
The new wave of infections in Africa is thought to be partly associated with the emergence of some variants that are more transmissible.
Following, the detection of the variant from India in Zimbabwe, Government has since announced measures, including the localised lockdown, to prevent it from spreading.
