The mining town of Kwekwe is set to undergo a localized lockdown following reports of the Indian variant being detected and having claimed a life.
The fast-spreading Indian variant B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus is causing havoc across the world. It was first detected in the country.
“The test conducted revealed that the B.1.617 variants predominantly from India were detected at the focalized outbreak in Kwekwe. The nation is therefore advised that this variant B.1. 617 is now in Zimbabwe,” said VP Chiwenga who is the Health Minister announced Wednesday.
Yesterday, the Kwekwe District Rapid Response Team announced that starting today the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) will start enforcing new COVID-19 lockdown rules meant to curtail the spread of the deadly variant.
The following measures were announced by the task force.
The district has to go into lockdown for three weeks with an effective curfew running from 7PM to 6AM.
Shops will only open between 8AM and 5PM while bars, sit-in restaurants, and liquor stores are to remain closed.
All quarantine, isolation, and treatment centers in Kwekwe have been activated with immediate effect, including Bell Medical Centre in Redcliff, Kwekwe General Hospital, and Kwekwe City Isolation Disease Hospital.
Measures outlined in the statement also include a boarding schools visit ban and heightened enforcement of Covid-19 protocols in all-day schools.
Business operating hours have been restricted to between 8 am and 5 pm while all bars, drinking places, beer halls and bottle stores have been closed.
All public gatherings in the district have been banned with funerals limited to only 30 people who are to be supervised by health workers.
ZUPCO buses are to reduce the number of passengers while people’s market operations will be scaled down.
The task force also resolved to increase testing and contact tracing.
