Stay away in Zimbabwe as coronavirus lockdown kicks in

Roads and streets were almost deserted in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare on Monday as the country entered lockdown in its battle against the coronavirus.

Police were deployed to control crowds at supermarkets as people queued for food whilst officers also controlled traffic in the city centre.

A local health worker said the government had made “the best decision” in limiting people’s movements as she hoped it would help stop the spread of the virus.

“As a health worker I think it was the best decision made by the president. For example looking at the Italian situation there was crisis where nobody was positive about COVID-19 when it first came.

“And also looking at our situation in Zimbabwe and the resources that we have, we have got limited resources as a third world country.

So I think it was the best just to limit the number of people moving up and down like on public transport, especially in the CBD, and also limiting the number of visitors going to the hospitals, to and from, because also it helps in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” Jacqueline Mudoka said.

The southern African nation has few cases of the virus but its health system is in crisis, and the virus may quickly overwhelm it. There are seven cases with one death as at Monday March 30. Government is also supporting one million vulnerable people with cash transfers.