Govt heightens Covid-19 vigilance
THE Government will not hesitate to introduce stricter Covid-19 lockdown measures if cases continue to spike, but this can be avoided if the public adheres to existing preventive regulations, a senior official has said.
In an interview, Chief Co-ordinator of the National Response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva, said the Government continues to monitor the efficacy of its lockdown regulations.
She said a decision to review lockdown measures will only be informed by science.
“It is our collective job to be responsible because if we cannot do that and the numbers keep on rising we may have no option, but to recommend stricter measures,” she said.
“But these decisions are always informed by science.
“So we will be meeting with the working parties to review the statistics and come up with a decision.
“The recommendations, if any are made, will be announced in due course and I cannot yet reveal them to you.”
Dr Mahomva said all ports of entry are now enforcing additional measures announced a fortnight ago, which require returning residents and visitors to undergo mandatory quarantine upon entry into the country.
“As far as we are concerned at co-ordination level, the new measures are in effect and they are being enforced,” she said.
“But if there are people, within our law enforcement agencies, who are letting people through our ports of entry without following Covid-19 health protocols then they should be reported.”
A visit to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare on Tuesday last week, however, revealed that visitors were being allowed into the country before being tested or going through quarantine.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima said Government has not set up any quarantine facilities.
“As Government, we are not going to be funding quarantine this time,” he said.
“People will have to quarantine at their own expense.”
Police in Chirundu last week arrested two health port officials for criminal abuse of office after they allegedly released two people from a Covid-19 quarantine centre at Chirundu Border Post.
On Friday, the country recorded 6 181 new cases of Covid-19 and six deaths from the respiratory disease.
For every 100 people tested on the day, around 42 tested positive.