OFFICERS at Bulawayo
Central Police Station pressed the panic button when a local returning from
South Africa, who is also a fraud suspect, started coughing uncontrollably in
the holding cells leading to the suspicion that he had Covid-19.
Bewildered
officers called the Bulawayo City Council Covid-19 Rapid Response team to the
station and the suspect was rushed to Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital
where he is admitted to the isolation ward.
The drama
unfolded hours after the detention of the suspect on Monday. Sources said
police officers initially thought the 30-year-old suspect was faking Covid-19
symptoms to get released. The virus has
infected about 894 000 people and has killed about 45 000 people globally.
In Zimbabwe,
eight have been infected and one has died. Other suspects who were locked up in
the holding cells with the suspect reportedly started hysterically banging cell
bars for attention as the coughing got worse.
The suspect was
at the time exhibiting more Covid-19 like symptoms, such as shortness of
breath, shivering and sneezing.
A senior police
officer allegedly had to rally subordinates who were scurrying all over the
charge office in alarm.
National Police
spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident yesterday
and said the affected police officers and other inmates were in isolation.
“I can confirm
that we had a suspect who exhibited symptoms of Covid-19. The rapid response
team was called to the station and the suspect was taken to the Thorngrove
Infectious Diseases Hospital for monitoring,” said Asst Com Nyathi.
“We are waiting
for the relevant health authorities to confirm if it’s a Covid-19 case or not.
The safety of police officers and any other staff involved in Covid-19
activities is of primary concern to the Commissioner-General of police (Godwin
Matanga). Government is mobilising resources to avail more protective equipment
for police officers.”
Asst Comm
Nyathi said medical officers within the police force were attending to police
officers who were on duty and had sent them into self-isolation as prescribed
by health experts.
He said other
suspects who may have come into contact with the patient would also be under
self-isolation.
Bulawayo City
Council Assistant Health Services Director Dr Khulamuzi Nyathi while addressing
journalists yesterday at the Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital during a
handover of donations from well-wishers in the city, said the patient was under
observation. Chronicle
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