By TauraiMazwi
Government has put in strict measures to curb the spread of Covid19 pandemic that is crippling the world, by quarantining returning residents for 21days at different designated points across the country.
65 Zimbabweans returned to the country yesterday from the United Kingdom (UK)upon an Ethiopian airline and they were taken to Belvedere Teacher's College to start their 21day quarantine period.
Posting on his Twitter handle, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwanarevealed that the returnees were being difficult and refusing to follow set down quarantine rules for returning residents.
“We received 65 Zimbabweans from the UK, available diaspora places of quarantine is Belvedere Teacher's College. Demanding hotels, Government cannot afford. Why come from a Covid19 hotspot during a lockdown and demand posh facilities at stretched public cost,” Mangwana posted.
He further highlighted that Government was putting reinforcements to ensure that quarantine rules are being adhered to.
“The travelers from the UK will spend tonight at Belvedere Teacher's College. Police are there to ensure that no one will break the law of the land,” he said.
Some residents while speaking to this publication stressed that the returnees did not have to be hard headed considering that they were coming from one of the Covid19 hotspots. They insisted that quarantine was mandatory and not selective if the country’s population is to be protected from infection.
“The pandemic has hit hard across the globe and these guys should understand that quarantine is the best and only solution for people coming from any country especially those with the worst cases. We can’t take any chances. Problem with some people from the diaspora is they think they are better than everybody else yet we are all human and equal.
“Worst case scenario is they could be Covid19 positive and that could risk increasing our cases here. They should just abide by the laws of the country. If they are real Zimbabweans at heart they will understand and not be selfish,” said one resident.
One netizen Richard Muzezuru tweeted that, “MrPermanent Secretary, the same people act as if they are cousins of Jesus when they visit us. Let them respect us for once. If they are not cool with Belvedere Teacher's College then take them to Uzumba High School.”
Another netizenLynne Stactiasaid, “If Belvedere Teacher's College is okay for teachers why cant it Quarantine Diasporans? Abroad asylum seekers are placed in hostels in some cases in prisons. I remember visiting someone at Dover prison who had travelled from South Africa, are we saying teachers are less human?”
Zimbabwe has over 1000 people quarantined so far with two people, one from France and one from the UK already having tested positive for Covid19.
Just last week 30 returnees from different destinations who came aboard an Ethiopian Airline were screened and tested then later escorted to Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration (ZIPAM) for their 21day quarantine. Recently 287 people were quarantined at various places countrywide including 15 Ethiopian nationals, 7locals from USA and 265 locals from Botswana. Several hundreds of homeless people in Harare were also moved to Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre, Mt Hampden and Jamaica inn.
