Virus hits Zimbabwean punters

HARARE: Half the plastic chairs are empty at Mwos sports betting house in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare. Less than 20 punters gather near the counter craning their necks as they watch a football match on a giant television set mounted up on the wall. A few weeks ago the shop would have been brimming full, leaving little or no standing room and conversation would be impossible amid the cacophony of voices of punters shouting tips to each other, haggling over which team would win and individuals cheering winning bets. On the wall, a sign reminded customers that gatherings of more than 100 people are prohibited to prevent the spread of coronavirus -- one of several precautionary measures imposed by Zimbabwe, where two cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed, and one death.