Zimbabwe has been witnessing a decline in COVID-19 cases over the past five days.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the number of COVID-19 cases had dropped from 5,678 reported on December 14 to 1,123 on December 19.

The country's peak since the report of the Omicron variant in the country early this month was on December 10 when the number of cases soared to 6,181.

Since December 14, cases have been on a downward trend and it remains to be seen how the situation will pan out as the nation approaches the festive season which is characterized by increased movement of people to different places for merrymaking.

So far, the Zimbabwean government has imposed restrictions on returning residents and visitors to the country, requiring them to undergo mandatory PCR testing and a 10-day quarantine period regardless of test results.

It has been reported that police are searching for 12 Zimbabweans who escaped from a quarantine facility at Beitbridge Border Post. They had been deported from neighboring South Africa and had tested positive for COVID-19.

The government has also ordered shops to close early at 7 p.m., and customers are not allowed to consume alcohol at bottle stores while nightclubs and bars are allowed to admit vaccinated clients only, among other standing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.