Easter under lockdown!

This year Easter was different especially for children who are in boarding schools as the government recently announced that they will not be go back to their homes whilst churches were discouraged from travelling for Easter Camps so as to reduce the spread of the novel Coronavirus.

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting services, Mrs Monica Mutsvanga announced the developments after a cabinet meeting.  According to the cabinet press briefing, she said school children will not be travelling to their homes for the holiday but will remain at their respective schools.

“School learners who are in boarding schools will not be permitted to travel back home. Equally, no parents will travel to concerned schools for purposes of visits,” read the statement.

The move comes as means of reducing the spread of Coronavirus in the country.  The President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa in his statement also mentioned that travellers without Covid-19 PCR tests not more than 48 hours will be quarantined for 10 days.

“In keeping with Christian practices, Zimbabweans flock to different places of worship with some visiting holy shrines.  The risk of the transmission during this period is thus predictably high. To safeguard our nation, we need to take some additional measures to avoid a third wave of the pandemic which is already attacking some Nations of the World,” he said.

He encouraged citizens to be vaccinated against the pandemic so that the country reaches herd immunity.

“People from different localities are encouraged to come forward to designated centres for vaccination so that our nation builds towards herd immunity. Wearing of masks and social distancing will be strictly adhered to and enforced,” read the statement.

Church gatherings and any other gatherings are still pegged at a maximum of 50 people. Churches are advised to follow the World Health Organisation guidelines so as to reduce the spread of the virus.

“All gatherings including church services, funerals and weddings will remain limited to not more than 50 people. The general public is encouraged to defer unnecessary travel outside localities of residence,” he said.

Writing on his Twitter page, Professor Solwayo Ngwenya encouraged people to stay at home as danger was still lurking.  He urged people to take extreme measures to protect each other from the pandemic.

“As we approach the holidays please take extreme measures to protect yourselves, and others. There is absolutely no need to go out to crowded places. Spend time at home with your family. There will be other holidays ahead. There are now new deadlier variants,” he said.

He said the third wave was looming and it was possible for it to be catastrophic due to its sudden appearance.

“This is not the time for false excitable reassurance thinking that the virus has gone away or has been defeated. The risk looms large, the 3rd wave is being brewed by us alone, by our human action.

The 3rd wave as I was saying, will appear suddenly due to the amazing complacency displaced at all levels. And it will be catastrophic due to its sudden appearance. However, we alone can prevent it by taking extreme measures,” he said.