The Zimbabwe Republic Police says 52 people were arrested yesterday for not wearing masks in public as gazetted by a new health law.
Under the law, those who fail to wear masks face punitive action or imprisonment of up to one year.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests saying the offenders were all fined at various police stations across the country.
“Police arrested 52 people across the country yesterday for not wearing face masks in public. Wearing of masks in public is now a legal requirement and we have been urging members of the public to be compliant with the new health regulations.
“Unfortunately, there are some people who are disregarding this and not taking our messages seriously. We continue to urge the nation to always adhere to the set Covid-19 regulations.
“We also remind the nation that the police are there to enforce the law and those caught on the wrong side of the law will be arrested,” he said.
To date, 22 174 people have been arrested since the lockdown began for various offences
