Contextual Assessment
Prices of basic commodities continued to rise with bread now costing an average of RTGS $55 in a survey conducted by MACRAD. In Masvingo Urban many residents expressed concern on the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities which have gone beyond the reach of the majority of people who are employed by the informal sector .
Updates
On 11 June 2020, 11 cases tested positive for Covid-19. These include eleven returnees from South Africa and one contact of a known case who are all isolated. Masvingo province reported two recoveries with 41 positive cases. A total of 332 confirmed cases, 51 recoveries, 277 active cases and 4 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic. (Source: Ministry of Health and Child Care Covid-19 update).
It is hard to tell whether we are coming or going in as far as progress on the Covid-19 lockdown is concerned. What makes it worse is that there is a dearth of information. Masvingo this morning was a near full lockdown with all non-essential services workers being chased out of the city by the Police and military whilst proof of employment letters were being torn upon presentation. Residents woke up yesterday to a new order after Government barred all non-essential services sector workers from getting into town. Vehicles formed queues stretching kilometres at roadblocks mounted around the city and anyone without essential service documents were turned back home. What surprised residents is that the situation had been relaxed for the last two weeks with business getting back to normal except for the informal sector.
Source: Masvingo Centre for Research and Community Development (MACRAD)
