Harare (New Ziana) – The Ministry of Health and Child Care on Monday again allayed public fears of an outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, saying no case had been registered yet.

It was reacting to social media rumours about an outbreak after a Thai man who exhibited symptoms escaped from Wilkins Hospital, one of the country’s three Covid-19 referral health facilities, and his whereabouts are still unknown.

The man, who recently returned from Thailand, had been referred to Wilkins Hospital on Sunday, but escaped from the Covid-19 referral facility before tests could be carried out.

According to reports, the Thai man had a high temperature and a fever, some of the typical symptoms of Covid-19.

But the Ministry of Health and Child Care said it was unlikely the man was a Covid-19 patient as the 14-day incubation period had passed since his arrival in the country.

He arrived in Zimbabwe on February 14.

“The Ministry (of Health and Child Care) would like to assure the nation that to date, there is no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe,” it said.

It said health authorities in the country were making thorough preparations in conjunction with regional and international partners to tackle the disease in the event of an outbreak, and would not conceal a case, if it happened.

Public panic in the country about Covid-19 has grown in recent days after neighbouring South Africa reported its first cases of the disease last week.

Because of heavy cross-border movement of people between the two countries, fears have grown that the disease would soon cross over into Zimbabwe.

The fears were stirred further at the weekend when a Chinese national, who had recently returned from China, died after exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19.

But the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the Chinese woman had no Covid-19, and had died of other causes.

New Ziana