Zim confirms second Covid-19 case

Harare (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe on Saturday recorded its second Covid-19 case, a 30 year old Harare resident who recently returned from New York, the United States of America.

The country’s first confirmed Covid-19 case was reported on Friday, a foreign national living in Victoria Falls, who had recently returned from Britain.

Both countries, where the returnees came from, are heavily affected by Covid-19.

Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo said the latest patient travelled to New York on February 29 and returned home on March 9 via South Africa.

South Africa also has confirmed cases of Covid-19.

“Today, 21st March 2020, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital confirmed yet another case of Covid-19 which brings to two the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe,” Moyo said.

“He (the patient) started exhibiting mild symptoms (flu-like illness) on the 12th March 2020 which progressively got worse on the 19th March 2020. He consulted with his doctor who advised him to self isolate at home. The doctor alerted the local Covid-19 rapid response team that immediately went to assess him and recommended that he continues with self isolation at home.”

Moyo Added: “Yesterday (Friday) evening, he developed severe respiratory distress and after stabilisation at home was admitted for isolation and clinical management at Wilkins Hospital.”

He said the national Covid-19 surveillance team was making efforts now to trace all the people the patient may have come into contact with since his return.

“Once again we call upon everyone to remain calm as we manage these confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Zimbabwe has set up state of the art testing and quarantine facilities in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, and also taken other stringent precautionary measures.

Some of the Covid-19 precautionary measures taken include shutting down all of the country’s small border entry points and schools, colleges and universities.

The authorities have also banned large gatherings exceeding 100 people.
New Ziana