the late |
The city has so far recorded four deaths followed by Harare
where three people have died of Covid-19.
Mashonaland East and Midlands provinces recorded one death
each bringing the total number of Covid-19 deaths in Zimbabwe to nine.
Following the death of the Zimra manager Mr Thabani Sibanda
on Sunday, the Mhlahlandlela offices have been closed for disinfection and will
reopen on Monday.
When Chronicle visited the offices yesterday, the main
entrance at the reception area was under lock and key and on the notice board
there was a notice notifying clients of the temporary closure.
“The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) hereby wishes to
advise its valued clients that the offices will be closed from July 7, 2020 to
July 11, 2020. Staff will be working from home and during this period there
will be limited services,” read part of the notice.
In an internal circular, Zimra Commissioner-General Ms
Faith Mazani said the Ministry of Health and Child Care has started testing
their staff at Mhlahlandlela Building for Covid-19. She said all the tested
staff members will be required to go on a mandatory quarantine for 14 days.
“We encourage all staff members to remain vigilant and
consistent in practising safety and health measures as prescribed by the WHO
guidelines and as advised through the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” she wrote.
Zimra spokesperson Mr Francis Chimanda declined to comment
on the cause of Mr Sibanda’s death.
“Zimra cannot provide comment on an individual’s health
issues. All I can say is that we have temporarily closed offices at
Mhlahlandlela Complex in Bulawayo from Tuesday, 7 July 2020 and will reopen on
Monday, 13 July 2020 to allow full disinfection of the premises,” he said.
A family spokesperson said Mr Sibanda was buried yesterday,
but could not give further details.
Sources at Zimra and health officials who declined to be
named said Mr Sibanda had succumbed to Covid-19.
In its update on Covid-19, the Ministry of Health and Child
Care said: “As at 06 July 2020, Zimbabwe had 734 confirmed cases, including 197
recoveries and nine deaths. We regret to report the death of a male aged 54
from Bulawayo province who tested positive on Sunday and had no travel
history.”
Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said
Bulawayo now has four Covid-19 deaths.
“I can confirm that we have recorded a fourth Covid-19
death in Bulawayo metropolitan province after a 54-year-old man with
comorbidity succumbed at a health facility over the weekend,” he said.
“The Covid-19 prevention measures remain unchanged. We
continue to encourage good hygiene especially hand washing as well as observing
social distancing and wearing of face masks in public space.”
In May, Zimra closed its city centre offices in Bulawayo
after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19.
The employee was one of three employees who served an
infected client at the Zimra’s Bulawayo port offices on March 18.
Having received the information that the client had tested
positive for Covid-19, the three officers then proceeded to self- quarantine
from March 27 to April 26.
Upon returning to work on April 27, the three officers were
tested and one of the results came out positive while the other two tested
negative and management decided to briefly close the offices for disinfection.
Chronicle
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