by Innocent Mujeri

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare yesterday released guidelines to operationalise the policy on mandatory employee testing for COVID-19 before reopening of business.

The Ministry said the guidelines were for immediate implementation.

This follows President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call, last Friday that industry and commerce that want to open under Level 2 lockdown period should ensure mandatory rapid diagnostic testing of all employees, social distancing in the workplace, sanitisation and wearing of masks by all employees.

The Statement from the Ministry reads that COVID-19 testing should be done by a registered health practitioner from designated testing facilities including non-profit organisations.

The Ministry further informed that COVID-19 testing was currently being done at Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI), Lancet Laboratory, CIMAS, New Start Centres and designated Government, Mission and Local health facilities.

In order to expedite the testing process, companies were urged to procure their own approved COVID-19 rapid test kits. These test kits should have been validated for use in Zimbabwe. However, the kits should meet the Ministry of Health and Child Care standards.

In a bid to assist companies with a high number of employees, the Ministry urged these companies to arrange with designated testing facilities for their employees to be tested at a time convenient to them. However, small companies and organisations were advised to visit health facilities and other designated testing centres for testing of their employees.

Zimbabwe, like many other countries, is under siege from the COVID-19 pandemic and 34 people have been diagnosed with the disease to date and 5 have lost their lives.