Authorities in Bulawayo are awaiting a Statutory Instrument (SI) that will legally operationalise a localised Covid-19-induced lockdown following the identification of a number of areas as hot spots in the second largest city.
The government on Tuesday approved a localised lockdown for three districts that are Covid-19 hotspots in Bulawayo including the deployment of security details to enforce the regulations.
However, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) director of Health Services, Dr Edwin Sibanda said without an SI in place it would difficult for authorities to effectively implement the approved localised lockdown.
“The challenge is that the lockdown has legal implications, usually it must be enforced using some legal instrument; usually the Statutory Instruments (SI),” said Dr Sibanda.
“So, if there is none, it will be difficult to say it is there or it’s not there because you are prohibiting business and other sectors so it must be spelt out in that particular piece of paper and this is where we will all from there know what we must do and what we must not do and when.”
He added: “As of now I have no idea on what is contained on that, I just heard like everybody else on newspapers and social media”.
The Districts under localised lockdown include Nkulumane, Emakhandeni and northern suburbs.
Suburbs which fall under Nkulumane District include Nkulumane, Pelandaba, Sizinda, Nketa, Emganwini and Barham Green.
Emakhandeni District covers Cowdray Park, Njube, Luveve, Magwegwe suburbs, Pumula suburbs and Emakhandeni.
The northern suburbs include Mpopoma, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja, Makokoba, the City Centre; “All Eastern suburbs fall under northern suburbs,” said Dr Sibanda.
Other areas which have been put under localized lockdown across the country include Mashonaland West Karoi, Makonde, Chinhoyi, Mhangura, Chidamwoyo, Magunje, Chirundu, Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central, Masvingo, Kwekwe and Chiredzi.
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