Harare(New Ziana) – Zimbabwe has so far carried out a total of 13 329 Covid-19 tests as it intensifies efforts to arrest the spread of the pandemic in the country, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said on Tuesday.

Lately, the country has ramped up testing and other measures to combat Covid-19, including setting up quarantine and treatment facilities in remote rural areas.

But bottlenecks such as illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West to force it to abandon its land reform policies, have slowed down the country’s Covid-19 response.

In this vein, while other developing countries have received generous financial and material assistance from the West, including debt cancellation, Zimbabwe has largely been denied the help.

As a result, the country missed its ambitious target to carry out 40 000 tests for Covid-19 by the end of last month.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said 13 329 screening and diagnostic tests had been conducted cumulatively to date nationwide for Covid-19.

“Today (Monday), a total of 1 682 tests were done, giving a total of 13 329 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has thirty-four confirmed cases, including five recoveries and four deaths,” it said.

Included in the ramped up testing now is the mandatory screening for Covid-19 for all formal industry employers and employees following their permission to re-open after the initial five-week lockdown.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended the lockdown by a further two weeks, but conditions were relaxed, including allowing the formal business sector to re-open.

But wearing of masks in public has been made mandatory under the new Covid-19 health conditions.

New Ziana