Zimbabwe has given bars the go-ahead to reopen but only to fully vaccinated patrons, as the government tries to encourage more people to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

The southern African country shut down pubs, bars and night clubs early last year when it imposed the first national lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19.

Following a Cabinet meeting in Harare on Wednesday, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists that Zimbabwe had seen a sharp decline in infections with the recovery rate now at 94 percent.

She added that the prolonged closure of pubs and bars had seen the mushrooming of illegal drinking outlets.

“In view of sprouting illegal drinking outlets, Cabinet directed that all licensed bars be opened to fully vaccinated clients,” she said.

“Bar owners are also required to ensure that the World Health Organisation and national protocols and guidelines are enforced, failure of which their licences will be withdrawn.

“The bars are also required to adhere to curfew hours.”

At the end of the third wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, the government relaxed some of its strict Covid measures. It started by allowing churches to resume services on condition that they only accept fully vaccinated congregants.

The country has also allowed sporting activities to resume for fully vaccinated athletes.

Vaccinated government workers that have received the two doses of the Covid-19 vaccines have also been allowed to return to work.

Zimbabwe’s vaccination programme has slowed down despite an aggressive drive to get more people inoculated after the country received huge donations of Covid-19 vaccines from China.

By Tuesday, 3,128,897 Zimbabweans had received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 2,342,966 were fully vaccinated.

The government set a target to vaccinate 60 percent of the country’s 15 million population by the end of the year to reach herd immunity.

Ms Mutsvangwa said that Zimbabwe has so far received 13,243,200 doses of Covid vaccines.