Complacency towards Covid-19 rules increasing

MANY people in Harare are not following basic lockdown rules in continuous force for more than 15 months.

The regulations include wearing of masks in public and social distancing, while other people are defying the ban on intercity travel.

As Government is working flat out to stop the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, visits to Mbare Musika, Exhibition Park and suburbs such as Warren Park, Kuwadzana, Mount Pleasant and Kambuzuma found large groups failing to wear face masks properly and maintain social distancing.

President Mnangagwa has since called for the nation to unite to win the fight against the pandemic.

At Mbare Musika, traders were crowding together while most were not properly wearing facemasks.

Only a handful had no masks, many were exposing their noses or even had masks pulled down.

At Showgrounds, a popular pirate pick-up point, people were defying the intercity ban as they hiked to towns across Zimbabwe, with a large contingent fancying a trip to Bulawayo or the towns and cities along the route.

While intercity buses are banned, commuters were boarding private vehicles that were taking advantage of the bus ban. A privatecar going to Gweru was charging US$14, compared to the standard bus ticket of US$10.

One of the travellers, Mr Itai Kamungo, said he was going to Gweru to attend the funeral of his brother who ironically died of Covid19. Although Zimbabwe has had some of the lowest infection rates in SADC, the country has seen rates rise more than 60-fold in the past seven or eight weeks as the third wave struck.

Besides the complacency seen on pavements and in markets, some shops have slackened, and no longer provide facilities for hand washing while most do not check the temperature or sanitise their customers before they enter the shops.

Big supermarkets are strict, but a swathe of smaller shops do not appear to be bothered. Zupco bus conductors are variable, but many do insist on masks and have a bottles of sanitisers, but the pirate taxis might be operating in a Covid-free zone for all the precautions they take, although some of their passengers do worry and wear masks.

Zimbabwe is battling to contain the spread of the Delta variant and the country has of late, recorded a surge in Covid-19-related deaths and infections.