Zimbabwe decides to re-open its land borders as COVID-19 cases declines

Nine months after Zimbabwe has closed its land borders in order to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, the country has decided to re-open its land borders on December 1, according to a news report by The Street Journal.

Zimbabwe borders with Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia have been closed for passenger traffic since the end of March.

According to Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, the new measures followed a decline in COVID-19 cases.

"The borders will open first to passenger vehicles and pedestrian traffic as from 1st December 2020, while further assessments are being undertaken with regard to handling passenger transport," said Mutsvangwa.

Zimbabwe has been recording a steady decline in COVID-19 cases in the past two months, which now average below 30 a day.

As of October 27, the country had recorded a cumulative 8,315 COVID-19 cases with 7 804 recoveries and 242 deaths.

On October 1, Zimbabwe allowed international flights to resume as it gradually reopened its tourism sector.

Domestic flights were allowed to resume on September 10.

According to a government directive, international travelers are required to produce certificates showing that they tested negative for COVID-19 at least 48 hours prior to their trip.

The government has re-opened tourism facilities such as national parks and lifted a ban on intercity travel.