ZIMBABWE has activated health surveillance systems at its
ports of entry to screen people from countries that have reported cases of
Coronavirus infections.
At least 22 people who arrived in the country on board a
flight from Wuhan City where the pneumonia-causing virus was first reported are
under surveillance. Multi-sectorial taskforce teams have been set up at various
entry points and are guided by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) case
detection guidelines for surveillance of the virus.
Addressing a combined inter-agency coordination committee
on health and the national taskforce on epidemic-prone diseases meeting on
Friday, Ministry of Health and Child Care Director for Epidemiology, Dr Portia
Manangazira said the Government was on high alert.
“So now, in terms of the national response strategies, we
want to strengthen, for us, it’s really activating the national multi-sectorial
taskforce to address a potentially pandemic severe acute respiratory infection.
So we should strengthen the joint control mechanism for multiple sectors and it
is very critical because this is something we perceive to be coming from beyond
our borders and not already inherent within us.”
Dr Manangazira said the prevention and control of pneumonia
outbreaks needed a joint and holistic approach.
“We have to alert the multiple sectors in terms of our
border authorities that is the Zimra, immigration, our own port health
colleagues, ministry of agriculture is, fortunately, present at the borders as
well as the response mechanisms,” she said.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Zimbabwe Disease Prevention
and Control Officer, Dr Anderson Chimosoro said WHO does not recommend
restriction on travels or trade for people infected with the novel coronavirus.
“At this stage, there are no indications that there should
be restrictions. It is prudent to advise our population or health workers on
the need to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections by
following some of these measures which include avoiding close contact with
people suffering from acute respiratory infections, frequent hand-washing
especially after contact with people or their environment.”
Meanwhile, Botswana registered its first suspected case of
the Coronavirus on Thursday, according to the country’s Ministry of Health and
Wellness. The case was registered at Gaborone’s Sir Seretse Khama International
Airport. A passenger travelling from China had arrived at the airport on an
Ethiopian Airways flight.
“The suspected case is still being investigated,” the
ministry said. Sunday Mail
0 comments:
Post a Comment