MORE than 1 000 people were arrested on Wednesday countrywide for flouting Covid-19 national lockdown regulations while in Bulawayo, police arrested 170 people and impounded 90 vehicles for lockdown defiance.

President Mnangagwa on Tuesday announced new measures which include cutting operating hours for businesses from 8am to 3pm as well as the introduction of a 6pm to 6am curfew following a surge in new infections and deaths due to Covid-19.

Also arrested the same day were 11 people at Nyamapanda and at Beitbridge border posts for illegal border crossing and smuggling of goods.

The police also reported that one deportee escaped from Standard Hotel quarantine centre in Bulawayo.

People escaping from quarantine centres have been accused of fuelling local infections which today are at 1 046 against imports which are at 988.

Police have launched several operations targeting those operating public transport without exemption letters.

In a statement yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said to date 111 979 people have been arrested for contravening the national lockdown regulations.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested 1 363 people throughout the country on 22 July for various offences related to contravention of the national lockdown regulations, bringing the total accumulative arrest to 111 979.”-Chronicle