Government will not hide any case or death related to
coronavirus in the country and should there be any confirmed case, information
will immediately be available and recourse taken.
Only laboratory tests can confirm Covid-19 and these are
done locally and other specimen are also sent to South Africa for confirmatory
purposes.
To date, three of the five suspected cases sent for
isolation at Wilkins Infectious Disease Hospital, have since tested negative.
One of the suspected cases is under isolation and health
workers are running all necessary tests. Another male adult has also been
quarantined and was being monitored after travelling from Italy.
He has no COVID-19 symptoms and test results were negative.
In an interview yesterday following the death of a
Mutare-based Chinese woman, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo
said subsequent laboratory tests were negative of the virus.
The woman had returned from China on January 24, but
presented to her doctor on March 6 complaining of shortness of breath. She was referred to Wilkins Hospital for Covid-19 tests,
but died on her way.
“There is no reason why we should hide such a condition of
international importance. Once we get confirmation, we will immediately
circulate to everyone because there are also precautionary measures to be taken
at individual level, so there is no reason for us to hide any confirmed case,”
said Dr Moyo.
He said after all, Zimbabwe was not the only country at
risk of the disease adding that many other countries, including neighbouring
South Africa have since confirmed cases.
In a statement yesterday, the Health and Child Care
Ministry says preparedness measures have been stepped up through heightened
surveillance at national, provincial and district level with special focus on
all ports of entry.
The statement advises the public to be guided by its
COVID-19 Situation Reports (SitReps) that are issued frequently.
South Africa yesterday confirmed a third case of
coronavirus involving the wife of the first patient.
All the three confirmed cases were part of a group of 10
people who had travelled to Italy, nine of whom returned to South Africa.
South Africa’s Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said
results of the other six travellers were expected by tomorrow.
“This morning we received results of the direct contact of
the first patient, his wife. She had also travelled with him to Italy as part of
the group of 10. I now wish to advise the public that she has tested positive
for Covid-19 and is therefore the third confirmed case in South Africa.
“We expected the results of the other six group members who
had travelled to Italy within the next 48 hours,” said Dr Mkhize.
He also noted that the first patient’s children tested
negative, but were still under surveillance.
Meanwhile, SADC is convening an emergency meeting of all
SADC Health Ministers, scheduled to take place today in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Government through the Ministry of Information, Publicity
and Broadcasting Services tweeted that Health ministers are expected to come up
with a position regarding member States’ preparedness.
“An emergency meeting of all SADC Health ministers is being
convened to take place on Monday 9 March in Dar es Salaam, where a position
will be taken on the preparedness of the member countries as they pave the way
forward on how to tackle Coronavirus in the region,” reads the post.
To date, about 3 700 people have died of coronavirus in
different parts of the world and over 102 000 others have been tested positive.
Herald
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