The Zimbabwe Republic Police last week arrested thousands of people for not wearing face masks in violation of COVID-19 regulations.
Some members of the public lowered their guard following the relaxation of the national lockdown regulations by President Emmerson Mnangagwa last Monday. In a statement, ZRP said:
The ZRP has noted with great concern an increase in the number of people being arrested for failure to wear face masks countrywide since the relaxation of strict lockdown measures by the government.
1 186 people were arrested on March 1, 1 965 on March 2 and 2 122 on March 3. Members of the public are advised to observe all health and safety protocols aimed at reducing the spread of the deadly Covid-19.
Meanwhile, health experts have warned against complacency saying the relaxation of lockdown protocols should not be a passport for citizens to behave irresponsibly.
They urge members of the public to observe recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which include wearing face masks, practicing social distancing, and washing of hands.
Zimbabwe experienced a second wave of the coronavirus towards the end of 2020 prompting the government to impose strict conditions to curb its spread.
Since December, a handful of senior government officials including the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Dr. Sibusiso Moyo, succumbed to COVID-19.
Of late, numbers of new cases and fatalities have been going down giving hope that the country was finally weathering the coronavirus storm.
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