<p>HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe has imposed a strict lockdown on the central city of Kwekwe because the COVID-19 variant dominant in India has been detected there. </p>
<p>Activities in Kwekwe, a city of more than 100,000, will be restricted for three weeks starting Friday, according to a notice by the health ministry’s COVID-19 task force.</p>
<p>Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Zimbabwe’s vice president, announced earlier this week that the variant had been found in Kwekwe.</p>
<p>The notice said the variant is “localized” in the midlands city and surrounding areas and “linked to a traveler from India.”</p>
<p>Bars and beer taverns have been closed and there is a night curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The lockdown also bans on public gatherings such as weddings and health officials will supervise all funerals.</p>
<p>Businesses will only be allowed to operate from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., according to the notice.</p>
<p>Zimbabwe has generally eased restrictions nationwide after the rate of infections started slowing following after a devastating resurgence in December and January.</p>
<p>The southern African country of 15 million people has recorded 38,635 confirmed cases, including 1,585 deaths by May. 20, according to health ministry figures.</p>
<p>The country has vaccinated 615,296 people with a first dose of vaccines, mainly the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines, while 252,100 had received a second dose, according to official figures.</p>
