A Malawi national quarantined at the Beitbridge District
coronavirus management centre on Wednesday after showing high temperature is
still awaiting results, while his 19 compatriots who were on the same bus were
taken by Government officials to the next border.
Health officials here moved swiftly to quarantine the man
who exhibited signs of a fever and had a history of coughing.
Specimens were sent for further laboratory tests to Harare,
with results expected in 24 hours.
Nineteen of his countrymen, who were travelling with him on
a Munorurama bus, and not a Munhenzva bus as reported earlier, were screened
and escorted to the next border because they did not present any signs of
illness.
The 19 were escorted by Government officials in several
vehicles to ensure they did not have contact with anyone until they cross the
border into Malawi.
The detained man was in transit from Northern Cape in South
Africa to Malawi via Zimbabwe.
The standard precautions came into effect as the health
team swung into action and he was taken in for tests after 5pm.
District medical officer, Dr Lenos Samhere said they had
conducted all the necessary tests and sent specimens for further tests.
“Currently, the man has been isolated and in a stable
condition. “We have since collected his specimens for testing,” he
said.
He encouraged people to practice standard measures, among
them personal hygiene and avoiding crowded places to minimise the spread of the
coronavirus.
Dr Samhere said Mimosa Mine was now working with the
Government to upgrade the port health facilities at Beitbridge Border Post
where screening of all travellers was mandatory.
“There is construction work that is going on within the
border and this will come with all the facilities we would need for a port
health centre.
Mimosa Mine was helping upgrade the current port health
facilities, which were expected to be complete by the end of yesterday. The
Beitbridge team had asked for additional staff.
Dr Samhere said they were in need of 29 environmental
health technicians, 20 nurses, 12 nurse aides, 12 general hands and one
laboratory technician but were operating with six environmental health
technicians, four port health technicians, and several environmental
health students. Herald
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