After many months of "lockdown," Zimbabwe is relaxing COVID-19 restrictions, which will allow the reopening of schools on February 7 and longer operating hours for bars and other businesses.
Following roughly 230,00 infections and over 5,000 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Zimbabwe since the pandemic began, the southern African country has accomplished a decreased infection rate, with 153 new infections reported daily on average.
Acting Minister of Health and Child Care Amon Murwira announced the decision, encouraging people to “observe COVID-19 preventive measures such as social distancing.”
In one of Harare’s high-density suburbs, Warren Park, people are out for a drink without fear of the police aggressively enforcing the lockdown regulations. “I’m happy that government reviewed the lock-down measures. We are actually grateful for what government has done. Right now, we out and about,” said Milton Nkala, one of the revelers.
Some Zimbabweans met the decision by calling it “overdue.” They say children's education suffered because, they believe, Harare failed to enforce safety measures in schools.
“If you look at other countries that are hard hit by the pandemic, learning is going on.. And the government has always been giving excuses,” said John Warure a parent of two school children.