FACTSHEET: Zimbabwe's COVID-19 management regulations - ZimFact
Ngoni Mhuruyengwe
August 25, 2020
Zimbabwe’s government has, since March 2020, issued a series of regulations as it bids to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The first set of regulations, issued on March 28, 2020, just over a week after the country’s first confirmed coronavirus infection, announced a 21-day national lockdown. The lockdown measures were subsequently extended and are now in place for an indefinite period of time.
As of August 24, 2020, Zimbabwe had recorded 6070 COVID-19 cases, 4950 recoveries and 155 deaths, according to the health ministry.
How many COVID-19 statutory instruments does Zimbabwe have so far?
The Zimbabwe government has published 17 statutory instruments since March 2020 regulating the management of COVID-19, including national lockdown rules aimed at slowing down the spread of the respiratory disease.
Where are Statutory Instruments published?
A Statutory Instrument, commonly called an “SI”, is published in a weekly Government Gazette carrying government legal notices or as a special notice in an Extraordinary Government Gazette.
What issues do the COVID-19 Statutory Instruments cover?
The Statutory Instruments cover a wide range of issues, including the assignment of responsibilities in the management of the Coronavirus pandemic — from health officials to local authorities — and any changes in the regulations.
Where are the Statutory Instruments found?
Legal and parliamentary watchdog Veritas keeps a detailed list of all Statutory Instruments, including those related to COVID-19 management. All 17 COVID-19 Statutory Instruments are found online as individual instruments, starting with SI83, the original March regulations which was then followed by Statutory Instruments 84, 86, 93, 94, 99, 101, 102, 110, 115, 136, 144, 153, 160, 174 and 186. Hard copies of the instruments are also available for sale at the government’s printing company.
On August 20 2020, the government published a consolidated version under Statutory Instrument SI200 of 2020 called Public Health ( COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (Consolidation and Amendment) Order, 2020 to succeed all the previous instruments as the governing legal instrument establishing provisions of the national lockdown, exemptions and enforcement regulations.
CORONAVIRUSCOVID-19FEATURED