Harare (New Ziana)- Zimbabwe now has 14 confirmed cases of Covid-19, an increase of one from Friday, the Health and Child Care Ministry reported on Sunday.

In a statement, the Ministry did not however divulge more information about the latest positive test besides the fact that it had been recorded in Bulawayo.

“The Ministry would like to report that today; the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 84 samples. The samples were received from four provinces i.e Bulawayo (58), Harare (23), Mashonaland East (2) and Mashonaland Central (1). Of the 79 results available at the time of print, one was positive for Covid-19. Therefore, Zimbabwe has fourteen confirmed cases including three deaths,” it said.

The Ministry revealed that the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo would soon begin testing for Covid-19.

“Additionally, in line with our decentralisation strategy for testing, training of lab scientists at the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo for Covid-19 testing is currently taking place. Once complete, these will provide Covid-19 testing services for the Southern Region starting on Monday next week,” said the Ministry.

Concerning the third Covid-19 death of a 79- year old Bulawayo man, the Ministry said 47 contacts had been traced.

“To date, we have identified 47 primary contacts of this case. The Ministry established that at the tourist resort in Hwange, where case #11 and his wife visited between the 14th and 16th March 2020, there were no other guests at the time of visit.

“Following their departure, the lodge has not booked any clients to date. Further the Ministry established that all the 7 staff members whom case #11 was in direct contact with during his stay were asymptomatic,” said the Ministry.

Zimbabwe is now on day 14 of the 21- day national lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.

New Ziana