Vusumuzi Dube
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
CABINET on Tuesday reactivated exemption mechanisms that were first promulgated during the first lockdown last year, while promising stiffer penalties for lockdown violators including the withdrawal of operating licences for errant businesses.
Zimbabwe has seen a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in recent weeks, with 1949 cases recorded on Tuesday alone. 28 more lives were lost to the pandemic, bringing the total number of those that have succumbed to the pandemic to 1939.
In response, government has curtailed business operations, while placing an outright ban on public gatherings except funerals which can only accommodate a maximum number of 30 people.
In a post cabinet briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said that exemption measures that were implemented at the onset of the outbreak of the pandemic in the country at the end March last year would come into effect immediately. Those measures included exemption letters for workers.
“…Cabinet has directed that Treasury urgently releases the first tranche of ZW$368.2 million it had committed towards funding the enforcement of Level 4 lockdown measures. This will reinforce the current efforts of containing the spread of COVID-19. The nation is advised that the exemption mechanism which were used during the first lockdown in 2020 will be reactivated with immediate effect. Stiffer penalties will be imposed for violations of COVID-19 restrictions, including the withdrawal of business operating licences,” she said.
Bongani Ndlovu