HARARE — The Victoria Falls rainforest has re-opened to the public after being closed on March 30 when Zimbabwe declared a coronavirus lockdown.

Zimbabwe’s premier tourist attraction is the economic driver of Victoria Falls town which has suffered immensely over the last three months as tourists stayed away.

Last week, the government announced that national parks were to reopen and restaurants would be allowed to serve food within their premises, bringing relief for the country’s hospitality sector struggling from restrictions to combat the new coronavirus.

Tinashe Farawo, the spokesman for the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said the falls were legally open and they were racing to implement health guidelines set by the government for all their facilities countrywide.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s head of corporate affairs and publicity Chief Koti said the falls would initially open for domestic tourists as Zimbabwe remains closed to foreign visitors.

The government’s decision came amid an outcry from the national parks and private safari lodges that the continued lockdown was endangering both businesses and conservation efforts.

Restaurants will be allowed to serve meals to sit-in customers, but only with limited numbers.

Like many countries across the globe, Zimbabwe is beginning to open up after a strict lockdown, trying to strike a balance between ensuring public safety and the need to keep alive an already struggling economy.

The country had recorded 716 cases by Sunday.

“We desperately needed to reopen,” said Farawo, adding that the parks agency had been running on “close to zero” income since the lockdown introduced in March to slow the spread of the new coronavirus and was struggling to pay about 2,000 rangers who are vital to combat poaching in the country’s parks, teeming with elephants, lion, hyena, buffalo, zebra and other wildlife.

Zimbabwe’s parks agency largely relies on tourism for income, and has been pushing to be allowed to sell animals such as elephants without “undue restrictions” to foreign zoos to raise money for conservation.

With international travel restrictions, there have been virtually no tourists from North America, Europe or Asian countries that provide most of Zimbabwe’s tourists.

Zambia reopened its side of the Victoria Falls in May.