By Shamiso Mangwengwende, Associate

This Statutory Instrument outlines the measures that employers and employees in formal business or industry (referred to as exempted persons) have to take to protect themselves and others from the corona virus during the course of business.

The following is a list of the mandatory measures that have to be taken:

• Ensure screening and testing of all persons within 14 days of reopening the business. The 14-day period is calculated from the 7^th of May 2020.
• If a business reopens after the 7^th of May it has to prove that it opened at a later date in which case the 14-day period will be calculated from whatever date that it reopened.
• The business has to keep records of testing of all persons on the premises.
• Rescreening and retesting may be ordered by an enforcement officer in 30 day intervals.
• All persons have the obligation to submit to testing, observe the social distancing rule, wear protective masks at all times when in public and sanitise their hands.
• An employer has to ensure that all employees have their temperature taken and that they sanitise their hands upon entry into the business premises.

The obligation to ensure that screening and testing is done for the employees, that hand sanitiser is provided and for temperature checks to be done rests with the employer.

Enforcement officers can demand access to any business premises to check on its compliance with this Statutory Instrument. If a business fails to provide proof of testing of all persons on the premises, then the business will be ordered to close until it becomes compliant. Failure to comply with this Statutory Instrument will result in a fine up to level 12 which amounts to ZWL$9000.00 at the moment or imprisonment for up to one year.

#staysafe #lockdown2020