by Innocent Mujeri
The Ministry of Health and Child Care announced yesterday that the number of COVID-19 patients in Zimbabwe has risen 40,with Harare becoming the hotspot of the disease.
In a daily update released by the Ministry yesterday, the number of COVID-19 patients has jumped from 32 to 40 with six of the new cases being reported in Harare and the other two from Bulawayo. Of the two new cases in Bulawayo, one of them is an official from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA)
“The Ministry would like to report that two of the PCR tests in Bulawayo on the 28th of April 2020 were positive for COVID-19. Today (yesterday), a total of 355 tests were done giving a total of 7 642 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. All the PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were negative for COVID-19. Of the PCR tests done in Harare, six were positive for COVID-19,” said the Ministry in a statement.
The update from the Ministry also showed that of the country’s 10 provinces, positive cases of the deadly virus has been recorded in 5 provinces.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare has the largest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 19, followed by Bulawayo which has 12 cases.
Mashonaland East has 5, Mashonaland West has 3 while Matabeleland North has only 1 confirmed case of COVID-19.
The Ministry said it would remain on high alert to the pandemic and continues to be guided by the COVID-19 containment strategy which is based on intensified surveillance, timely case detection, testing, isolation, and management of all COVID-19 cases.
To stop the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry has urged citizens to practise good personal hygiene and practise social distancing.
The first COVID-19 in Zimbabwe was confirmed on 20 March 2020 and to date, 7 642 cumulative screening and tests were done. Five of the patients have since recovered from the disease while four succumbed to it.
