BULAWAYO – A surge in Covid-19 infections has forced Zimbabwe to delay the opening of schools by two weeks.
The country has seen a steady increase in both cases and fatalities in the last several weeks with 6 deaths and 519 new infections reported on Tuesday.
Since Sunday, the respiratory illness has killed 25 people and infected 1,086 others, a tally of daily statistics provided by the health ministry shows.
“In view of the regional and local upsurge of cases, the nation is informed that Cabinet approved that the reopening of schools and other learning institutions be delayed by 14 days,” government spokesperson Monica Mutsvangwa told a news conference on Tuesday.
Mutsvangwa added that the “government will be monitoring the situation and a review would be made after two weeks.”
Public health professionals and teachers’ unions had lobbied government to call off the June 28 schools reopening for the second term, fearing a massive outbreak that could cost lives.
Last term, thousands of pupils and teachers, especially in boarding schools, were infected with the resurgent virus.
Government tightened restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus some two weeks ago with a number of areas including Kariba, Karoi, Chinhoyi, and Kwekwe being placed under localized lockdown.
Vowing strict enforcement by security forces, Mutsvangwa also announced that all hotspots were now effectively under similar targetted lockdowns.
These include Mhondoro, Kazangare, Chiredzi, as well as Nkulumane, Emakhandeni, and the so-called Northern Suburbs in Bulawayo.
“The nation is informed that there would be a joint security blitz to enforce the recently promulgated Covid-19 prevention and control measures, especially in the designated hot spots,” Mutsvangwa added.
