Ashly Dhani
Online Reporter
The Covid-19 Taskforce has directed that only those civil servants who were approved by the Public Service Commission to provide essential service should report for work, with the rest remaining in lockdown.
This was said by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Hon Monica Mutsvangwa, Monday as she presented the weekly update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Additionally, following the recorded infection at the Chinhoyi University of Technology and in line with the guidelines for the re-opening of universities and colleges, the taskforce resolved that the said institution undertakes all necessary and sensible steps to close.
The Minister added that in the past week, seven Zimbabwean lives have been lost to Covid-19 whilst the cumulative number of confirmed local transmission cases has risen from 286 to 791. The majority of the cases were recorded in Bulawayo and Harare, surpassing imported cases in the former.
“Zimbabwe, we cannot afford to be complacent neither can we continue to put our lives at risk on the hope that somehow we can escape Covid-19. The reality is that as our infection cases increase our risk as a nation also increases. Covid-19 is now in our communities and we cannot ignore or run away from that fact. Our only hope is to stop being adventurous and comply with the preventative and protective measures,” the Minister said.
She added that the taskforce received a presentation on the distribution of local positive cases across the country, which cannot be linked to an identifiable source. Once again, while these positive cases are dotted throughout the country, they are mostly concentrated in Bulawayo and Harare.
“The country continues to receive returning citizens and legal residents. Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, is facilitating the transportation of returning Zimbabwean students from across the globe, through repatriation flights.
“The Taskforce received reports of positive Covid-19 returnees who are absconding from isolation facilities, thus endangering their families and communities. Members of the public are reminded that absconding from quarantine and isolation facilities is a Level 12 offence under Covid-19 regulations which may result in up to a year in prison,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She added that the country remains under lockdown and Government continues to provide food to the vulnerable and to those who have been severely economically affected by the lockdown.
In light of Cabinet’s directive last week that “Government shall have the sole responsibility for inter-city travel for those that really require to travel”, the Taskforce was informed that with regards to the management of the provision of inter-city travel, CMED will facilitate the fuelling while Zupco will provide the buses as is done with urban transportation.
Online Reporter