NSSA offers holding facilities for Covid-19

Harare(New Ziana) – The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) on Tuesday offered its idle 136- room hotel in Beitbridge for use as a Covid-19 quarantine centre, particularly for returning residents suspected of being infected by the pandemic.

The border town, however, has not recorded a Covid-19 positive case yet.

Beitbridge hotel was leased by the Rainbow Tourism Group, but shut down in 2016 due to low business. It has been idle since.

In a statement, NSSA said it would also avail Ekusileni Medical Centre in Bulawayo, another of its facilities that was idle, for treatment of Covid-19 patients.

“The former Beitbridge Rainbow Hotel will be used as a transit isolation centre to cater for returning residents from South Africa. This means every Zimbabwean who passes through Beitbridge border post from South Africa will be quarantined for 21 days at the NSSA facility as a precautionary measure,” it said.

“NSSA has also availed its Ekusileni Medical Centre in Bulawayo for accommodation of patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19.”

NSSA acting general manager, Arthur Manase said the authority’s two facilities would compliment government efforts to stop the further spread of Covid-19.

“Through the banner, “NSSA for good”, we have availed the two facilities to the Government as our humble contribution towards this national cause. We also remain committed to rendering further assistance within our ability, as maybe requested by the government,” he said.

NSSA’s help is the latest in a long list of businesses that have joined government efforts to combat the pandemic, which has so far infected eight people in the country.

One of these has since died.

New Ziana