President Emmerson Mnangagwa Tuesday morning urged the nation to desist from travelling outside of Zimbabwe and maintain high levels of hygiene in light of the coronavirus which continues to spread across the world.
The virus has so far claimed more than 4000 lives while infecting more than 118 000 others mostly in China.
Zimbabwe has not recorded a single case of the deadly virus as all the suspected cases have tested negative, according to the government. However, South Africa has recorded 13 cases as of Wednesday and the fear is that with the high volumes of movement between Zimbabwe and South Africa, there could be a danger that the virus will find its way in the country.
In a tweet post, Mnangagwa said there should be minimum travelling outside Zimbabwe.
“I urge my fellow Zimbabweans to maintain excellent levels of personal hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough, and avoid unnecessary travel abroad. We must keep our nation, safe, secure and healthy,” said Mnangagwa.
The virus, which originated in the Chinese province of Hubei, has found its way across the globe due to travelling and many countries are moving in to ban movements as a stopgap measure to contain its continued spread
Several major airlines have cut their flights by more than half especially those flying to mainland China.
Last week, Mnangagwa banned his cabinet members and civil servants from travelling outside Zimbabwe as the risk of contracting the virus during flights is higher.
