This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
On June 10, 2020, Zimbabwe's government announced a new measure to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus: withholding travel documents from thousands of returning nationals.
The move comes after reports emerged that some returnees had escaped from isolation centers, sparking concerns about the spread of the virus.
According to Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, the government will collect identification or travel documents from returnees upon arrival and return them at the end of the 21-day quarantine period.
Agnes Mahomva, the head of Zimbabwe's Covid-19 response, described those who escape from quarantine centers as a 'security concern'.
As of March, Zimbabwe had recorded 314 Covid-19 cases, with the majority being citizens returning from countries such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique.
Thousands of Zimbabweans abroad are expected to return home after losing their sources of income, with over 5,000 citizens returning in recent weeks.
