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Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
CABINET has announced that lockdown regulations will soon be tightened especially in areas like Bulawayo which has been identified as a hotspot.
The country’s confirmed Covid-19 cases this week breached the 1000 mark and also noted a spike in cases due to the pandemic.
In a post cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mrs Monica Mutsvangwa revealed that Cabinet had also resolved the deferment of schools reopening as authorities seek to curb the spread of the global pandemic.
“Cabinet is disturbed by the spike in Covid-19 locally transmitted cases and the number of deaths recorded. To curb the increase in transmissions as well as deaths from Covid-19 the current lockdown restrictions will be tightened, while localised lockdowns are introduced in hotspot areas.
“Further opening up of the economy is halted and the re-opening of schools shall be deferred pending a review of the situation,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
The Minister further warned private schools that had already reopened in defiance of government regulations on Covid-19 that they would be penalised.
Regarding areas like Bulawayo that had recorded a spike in local transmissions, she revealed that Government would increase community testing programme.
“Government shall have the sole responsibility for inter-city travel for those that really require to travel especially to seek medical attention.
“Two buses will also be availed to transport those that test positive from Beitbridge to their respective provincial isolation centres,” said the Minister.
Meanwhile, according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Health and Child Care as at Tuesday the country recorded 30 new cases of the pandemic bringing to 1034 the total number of confirmed cases in the country.
“The new cases include returnees from South Africa (7), Botswana (3), Lesotho (3), Zambia (1) and 16 local cases who are isolated. Seven of the local cases are contacts of known confirmed cases, investigations are underway to establish the source of infection of the other case.
“Today (Tuesday) we regret to report a death at facility level. The death occured in Matabeleland South Province and is of a child who was admitted into hospital on 11 July with severe pneumonia,” reads part of the update.
The country to date has recorded 343 recoveries and 19 deaths, meaning there are now 673 active cases.
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