Zimpapers Logo

Nyore Madzianike Senior Reporter
Government has emphasised that the 60-day suspension of public gatherings does not translate to activities that sustain livelihoods, with education mechanisms being put in place to observe highest standards of hygiene to curb Covid-19.

After a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Minister of Local Government and Public Works July Moyo said public and private institutions will continue operating under prescribed standard procedures by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“The Government is aware of the number of gatherings that normally take place during the Easter Holiday,” he said.

“The President mentioned it, that we are appealing to the churches to make sure that they take heed of the call by the Government because the threat is real.

“Obviously, we would like to make sure that we reach out to these churches. We are saying let us have less gatherings and we have to do a lot of work to make sure they comply.

“We have noted and we want to have programmes that can touch on the lives of those people working in places like Mbare Musika because we realise that it is their livelihood without completely banning them.

“We have to do education measures to make sure they take hygienic measures as they go about their business.”

Minister Moyo said the positions taken by Cabinet would be operationalised by a committee from the Ministry of Health.

He said the committee will look into the movement of people by public transport and monitor other measures put in place to ensure the safety of the general public.

“Zupco has already intimated to me what measures they are going to take and we will be working with them to make sure that they implement them,” said Minister Moyo.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Treasury was doing a lot to make sure Zimbabweans were protected from Covid-19.

She said Treasury was supporting measures to strengthen surveillance and case management.

Cabinet, she said, had received and adopted a report by the Minister of Health and Child Care on the national preparedness and response progress regarding Covid-19.

As at March 13, 2020, Minister Mutsvangwa said more than 9 505 travellers had been screened at the country’s ports of entry and 378 put on surveillance.

“The National Microbiology Reference Laboratory had tested 14 suspected cases for Covid-19 and all were negative,” she said.

“Cabinet was informed that to date there is no confirmed case of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe.

“The minister advised that while more cases and deaths are being reported in Europe, 26 countries in Africa have confirmed cases of Covid-19.”

Of these countries, four were from the SADC region, namely, South Africa, Eswatini, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Government urges the citizenry to only rely on official reports from the Ministry of Health and Child Care on Covid-19 reports.