The Zimbabwean government has made the wearing of face masks, compulsory in public spaces to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Deputy Minister of Information, Energy Mutodi, said on Sunday that the police will arrest anyone leaving their homes without the protective gear.

Mutodi announced on twitter; “With effect from tomorrow, Monday, May 4, the Police will arrest anyone seen without putting on a mask in the CBD, entering shops or any public places’’.

The development follows President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s announcement on Friday that members of the public will be required to wear it in all public spaces.

Zimbabwe has recorded 34 cases of COVID-19, four deaths, and five recovery cases so far.