Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Saturday the lockdown imposed to control the spread of coronavirus would stay in place for the moment, but would be reviewed every two weeks.

Mnangagwa said the World Health Organisation had classified coronavirus transmission in Zimbabwe as "sporadic, with one or more cases imported or locally detected.

"This may suggest that despite the small numbers tested, our country might have a reduced COVID-19 trajectory," he said in a speech broadcast on public television.

"Zimbabwe will therefore continue on ... lockdown for an indefinite period.

Local doctors have warned that Zimbabwe's poorly equipped health service could not cope with a coronavirus pandemic.