People queue for COVID-19 vaccination at a point set up by a mobile vaccination team at Buwi Secondary School on December 15, 2021 in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. (Photo by Tafadzwa Ufumeli / Getty Images)
The number of COVID-19 infections in Zimbabwe has surpassed the 200,000 mark.
According to the latest figures published by the health ministry, the country recorded 1,940 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its total number of infections to 201,344.
In the same period, the country registered 27 deaths, bringing its total number of virus-related fatalities to 4,855.
The Southern African country is now the 12th nation on the continent to report more than 200,000 COVID-19 cases.
Zimbabwe has seen a decline in its number of new daily infections, having peaked on December 10 when the number of new cases hit 6,181.
In efforts to contain further spread of the virus, 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.
The government has also ordered shops to close early at 7 p.m.. Customers are not allowed to consume alcohol at liquor stores while nightclubs and bars are allowed to admit vaccinated clients only, among other standing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.