Zim Covid19 cases double to 132

Harare (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 cases more than doubled on Wednesday to 132, a cabinet minister said.

On Tuesday, the country’s confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 63.

Addressing a post Cabinet media briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said 68 of the 69 new cases were recorded in two quarantine centres where returnees were being housed.

The majority of the country’s cases are from returnees from worst hit nations in the region and beyond, with very few locally-transmitted cases so far registered.

Most of the positive cases have been returnees from South Africa and Botswana in the region, and Britain from the wider world.

“To date the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases stands at 132, up from the 56 cases recorded on 24th May, 2020. This translates to 76 new cases recorded over the last two days,” Mutsvangwa said.

This is the sharpest daily rise in Covid-19 cases the country has registered, and is partly explained by the government’s expanded testing regime now in place.

Mutsvangwa said the new cases were found in quarantine centres in Masvingo and Beitbridge, in returnees from South Africa where Covid-19 infections are over 20 000.

Only one case, among the latest, was recorded in Harare.

“The latest cases have largely been imported through returnees mainly from South Africa and Botswana. Only one case of local transmission has been recorded,” Mutsvangwa said.

The government has vastly stepped up its Covid-19 testing and control regime, especially around border areas to intercept cases among returnees before they transmit the virus inland.

This, medical experts say, explains the rise in the number of confirmed cases now.

Mutsvangwa said the number of recoveries from the virus were also rising in tandem, and now stood at 25, while fatalities remained at four.

“The number of those who have recovered from Covid-19 infections have increased from 18 to 25 while the number of deaths remains at four,” she said.

“The number of active cases now therefore stands at 103.”

Mutsvangwa said Cabinet was advised that Wilkins and Parirenyatwa hospitals were now ready to admit critical Covid-19 patients, while Materdei hospital in Bulawayo, and all provincial hospitals, could admit mild cases.

Meanwhile, security at quarantine centres for returnees was being tightened to ensure no one escaped. This comes amid reports escape attempts had been made at some of the facilities.

Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo said the country could still contain the number of new cases.

“We are making sure that we continuously test all returnees in quarantine areas. We need to concentrate on making sure that our general population remains safe.

“We cannot refuse Zimbabweans who want to return home,” he said.

New Ziana