Zimbabwe has officially lifted the mandatory wearing of masks and the requirement for tourists to produce COVID-19 vaccination certificates and negative PCR tests at the country’s points of entry.
This comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the disease was no longer a public health emergency of international concern in May.
In terms of Statutory Instrument 102 of 2023, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Constantino Chiwenga directed the scrapping of the mandatory wearing of masks. Part of the SI reads:
WHEREAS the World Health Organisation on the 4th May 2023, released a statement that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern; AND WHEREAS the Government of Zimbabwe subsequently directed that mandatory wearing of face masks be lifted, that all border control measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 be lifted and that tourists no longer be required to produce COVID-I9 vaccination certificates and negative COVID PCR tests at ports of entry or at tourist resorts around the country…
NOW, THEREFORE, the Minister of Health has, in terms of section 8(1) of the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) Regulations, 2020 (published in Statutory Instrument 77 of 2020), made the following order: —
1. This order may be cited as the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (No. 2) (Amendment) Order, 2023 (No. 44).2. Notwithstanding — (a) section 2(a) of the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (No. 2) (Amendment) Order, 2022 (No. 41), published in Statutory Instrument 67 of 2022, returning residents and visitors are no longer required to produce COVID-19 PCR tests or vaccination certificates at ports of entry; (b) section 5 (“public gatherings”)(1)(g), the wearing of face masks at public gatherings is no longer mandatory.
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