Zimbabwe declares curfew

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared renewed COVID-19 lockdown, imposing a 12-hour curfew.

It will be effective starting Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time.

On March 30, the country was placed under lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus which first emerged in China last December.

In May, Mnangagwa also declared an indefinite lockdown as the COVID-19 spread across the globe uncontrollably.

Now, declaring yet another war on the pandemic, the president said: "With effect from tomorrow 22 July 2020, all business premises must operate from 0800-1500 hours, with exception of providers of Essential Services. Only Essential Services are exempt from this curfew."

"All non-working sections of our population will be required to stay at home, except for securing food, water, and health services."

He also said the renewed lockdown will be stringently enforced by the country’s security forces, including the military and police.

But disgruntled pro-democracy activists in Zimbabwe have criticized the curfew as an onslaught on planned July 31 anti-government protests.

Dhaka/Mukul