Zimbabwe has imposed a nationwide lockdown for 21 days from Monday to help curb the spread of coronavirus, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Friday.

“Only state and health workers will be exempted from the lockdown,” said President Mnangagwa.

Zimbabwe has five confirmed coronavirus cases, including one death.

Many have questioned how a lockdown will work with the water and power crisis. Bulawayo, the second largest city, has gone for eight days with no water while electricity can go for up to 18 hours in some cities.

Zimbabwe had already forced some sections of business to cut down on Thursday.

FBC, one of the leading banks in the country, announced through SMSes that it was closing Centre branches earlier on Friday.

“We are temporarily closing FBC Bank Centre branch. Please utilise our e-banking channels or any FBC branch within the CBD.”

COVID-19 has been declared a formidable epidemic disease in terms of the Public Health Act, allowing the Minister of Health and Child Care to make sweeping regulations to control the spread of the disease and to have designated medical officers order the compulsory testing, quarantining, isolation and treatment of anyone who is exposed to infection or is confirmed as infected..

The new Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) Regulations 2020 were gazetted on Monday and are valid until May 20, although they then may be extended a month at a time.