Zimbabwe has placed a ban on public gatherings in the capital Harare due to cholera outbreak as death toll continues to increase.
The police said on Wednesday it will be enforcing the ban as part of efforts at controlling the spread of the disease.
In a statement, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said citizens would have to comply with the directive to help deal with the spread of cholera.
The police command however did not say how long the ban would last. The government has already banned the selling of meat and fish by vendors in suburbs where the infection is widespread.
On Tuesday Zimbabwe declared cholera emergency. At least twenty people have died from the outbreak so far with more than 2,000 reported cases.
Health Minister Obadiah Moyo said on Tuesday that those infected by the disease drunk contaminated water. Moyo toured some health facilities in Harare which is struggling to provide safe drinking water to residents.
“We are declaring an emergency for Harare. This will enable us to contain cholera, typhoid and whatever is going on. We don’t want any further deaths,” Moyo said after the tour.
The minister also revealed that classes at some schools at the epicenter of the outbreak have been suspended.
In 2008 Zimbabwe suffered its biggest cholera outbreak. Over 4,000 people died from that outbreak.
Source: Africafeeds.com
