BY PRIVILEDGE GUMBODETE/METHEMBE SIBANDA CABINET yesterday further relaxed COVID-19 lockdown measures, including lifting the midnight curfew.
Speaking during the post-Cabinet media briefing, acting Information minister Jenfan Muswere said: “Cabinet resolved to relax some COVID-19 measures and regulations as follows.
“That the business hours for the hospitality industry be extended to now cover the period 0800 hours to 0300 hours the following day; that, while enforcement of COVID-19 regulations must continue, the curfew which is currently running from 12 midnight to 0530 hours has been lifted; and that implementation of all COVID-19 public health and social measures must continue to be strengthened.”
Statistics from the Health and Child Care ministry show that the country’s cumulative COVID-19 cases stood at 254 919, with 247 649 recoveries as of yesterday morning.
The recovery rate was standing at 97%, with 1 734 active cases having been reported.
An average of 97 new cases was recorded per day, compared to 108 new cases the previous week. No patients were admitted to the intensive care unit.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also reported a 90% global decline in COVID-19 cases.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday, however, said COVID-19 deaths were still being recorded despite the decline.
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“This (decline) is a very welcome trend. Still, more than three million cases were reported to WHO last week — and because many countries have reduced surveillance and testing, we know this number is under-reported,” Ghebreyesus said at a virtual Press briefing.
“We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to these numbers. There is no acceptable level of deaths from COVID-19 when we have the tools to prevent, detect and treat this disease.”
COVID-19 taskforce national co-ordinator Agnes Mahomva said infections in Zimbabwe have also decreased.
“Our cases have been going down. We do not wait for the global people to tell us what is happening in our country. Recently we did have a little spike but all is well now,” she said.
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