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Over 10,000 people have been arrested by the Zimbabwean police for failing to wear face masks in public.
Some 16,000 others have also been arrested for flouting lockdown restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.
Reports say most of the offenders have been ordered to pay an admission of guilt fine.
The country imposed a lockdown after Covid -19 cases doubled last month.
This has been attributed to festive season gatherings and traffic from neighbouring South Africa, which is experiencing a severe second wave of the virus.
Zimbabwe recorded 38 covid-19 related deaths on Wednesday, the highest number since it recorded its first case last year. Currently more than 9,000 people have Covid-19.
Health care workers have been hit by a shortage of protective gear as they battle to cope with an increase in the number of patients.
There have been more than 34,000 Covid-19 cases and almost 600 deaths since the first case was detected in March.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
