Harare(New Ziana)-Government said on Tuesday it will re-assess boarding facilities at a Covid-19 quarantine centre in Harare after inmates complained it was not suitable for human habitation.
Belvedere Teachers’ College hostels had been designated to house 65 Zimbabwean returnees from Britain.
But the returnees, who came back home on Monday, said the boarding facilities were sub-standard and demanded to be transferred to a hotel.
It is government policy that returning citizens go into mandatory quarantine for 21 days to control the spread of Covid-19.
Addressing a post Cabinet media briefing, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima said government officials would on Wednesday assess the Belvedere Teacher’s College facilities to see if the concerns of the returnees were genuine.
“We are going there tomorrow to assess the facilities. If there are real problems at Belvedere Teachers College, we will find somewhere to accommodate them,” he said.
Some Zimbabweans who arrived in the country last week are being quarantined at ZIPAM, a government training institute just outside Harare while others are staying in Plumtree.
Mavima said the government would ensure that returnees who come in at different times were not mixed to avoid the spread of Covid-19 infections.
Addressing the same briefing, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Cabinet resolved that Covid-19 testing be expedited starting with frontline health workers.
“In view of the foregoing, Cabinet agreed that the Covid-19 testing program be expedited commencing with all frontline health workers and that has already started. In order to meet the requisite number of tests directed by Cabinet of 40 000 tests by 30th of April 2020, health testing units will be engaged to complement and bridge the personnel gap that may arise in the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” she said.
So far, at least 3 380 samples have been tested for Covid-19.
Zimbabwe has so far registered 25 confirmed cases of Covid-19 including three deaths.
Mutsvangwa said government would also pay its workers risk allowances for working during the lockdown period.
“Cabinet has resolved that the agreed health risk allowances, insurance and other incentives be upheld as per agreement,” she said.
New Ziana
