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Leroy Dzenga Herald Reporter

The curfew has been cut to between 8pm and 6am, while business hours were restored to between 8am and 4.30pm to ease the plight of the public and lower the risk of Covid-19 infection by cutting crowding.

At the same time, returning residents can go home as soon as they have a negative PCR test and promise to self-quarantine for 21 days.

Announcing the changes approved by Cabinet yesterday, Information, Broadcasting and Publicity Services Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the changes were made “having noted the plight of the public and the need to lessen the risk of contracting Covid-19”.

Businesses and their customers had been complaining that the restriction of operating hours for exempted businesses and the retail end of many essential services had resulted in crowding outside the business premises. Industrial businesses in non-essential areas also needed more time to meet orders.

Workers were complaining that transport problems, especially for those needing to catch two buses to get home, meant it took too long to get home. Besides queuing for two buses at peak hours, they had the walks to the work area bus stop, between the two terminuses, and then home from the nearest stop.

This, many said, was making them unintentional curfew breakers.

The changes give them an extra half hour from the close of business to the start of curfew.

Public transport drivers are now required to be tested regularly and legal buses and kombis will get dedicated lanes to expedite their passage.

The Government further eased quarantine requirements for Zimbabwean returnees who meet newly-set criteria spelt out yesterday.

“Immigrants who are PCR negative on arrival will no longer be detained but be put on home quarantine and reviews will be conducted by the rapid response teams in that locality. Those who test positive on arrival will be placed in isolation centres,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Initially, those who were returning from foreign lands were required to undergo a 21-day quarantine in a State-approved centre before joining their families.

This was reduced to eight days if tests were negative, if the returning person promised to remain self-quarantined at home until the end of the total 21-day requirement.

Zimbabwe has been witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases though the number of recoveries has also been on a sharp rise. The country is in an indefinite level two lockdown, but authorities continue to tweak conditions based on available information and feedback from citizens.