Schools remain closed as the government extended a strict lockdown to decrease the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The government said schools will only reopen when the COVID-19 curve has flattened. Authorities had previously said schools remain closed until 10 August when a review of the state of the COVID-19 trend would have been made.
Schools were initially scheduled to reopen on the 28th of June but authorities postponed the reopening following the outbreak of the third wave attributed to the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus first detected in India.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced on Monday that the lockdown had been extended by a further two weeks which means schools remain closed.
He announced the present Level Four additional measures that allow businesses, farms and mines to stay open but cuts business hours to 8 am to 3.30 pm, widens the curfew to 6.30 pm to 6 am, bans intercity travel, and wants a majority of staff in non-essential units to work from home.
The president observed that although the new coronavirus infections and deaths drastically fell last week, the numbers remain high to allow a relaxation of measures.
He also expressed concern over the rise of COVID-19 cases in neighbouring countries and urged the nation to remain careful. Said the president:
Several countries are beginning to experience the fourth wave, quite worrisome are the trends in countries close to us.
South Africa is the most hit African country and has since early April experienced a surge in new infections, with hospital admissions rising around 60 per cent.
Zimbabwe’s borders remain closed and the infections recorded in recent weeks were all community transmissions.
More: The Herald