A total of 27 people including children and members of staff at Mary Ward Children’s home in Kwekwe have tested positive for Covid-19.
The development comes in the wake of a surge in positive
cases in the mining town with more cases recorded within schools.
Mary Ward, Ruvimbo and Chiedza primary schools are some of
the schools that have recorded positive cases among pupils.
Midlands Provincial Medical Director (PMD) Dr Reginald
Mhene said those who tested positive at the children’s home have been placed in
isolation at the facility.
“The children’s home houses 66 children and when tests were
conducted at the facility, 27 people including staffers and children, tested
positive. Modalities have been put in place that whoever gets ill will be taken
to hospital,” said Dr Mhene.
Giving an update during a Kwekwe full council meeting
recently, Assistant Director Nursing Services, Sister Patricia Shumba said they
decided to carry out the tests as part of the contact tracing.
“We have some people who tested positive and they passed
the virus to their families. We then conducted contact tracing which then led
us to schools where we got those figures of children testing positive,” she
said.
Sister Shumba said those who tested positive have since
been placed in isolation and are being monitored.
Kwekwe Mayor, Councillor Angeline Kasipo said the increase
in new cases was worrying.
“By yesterday (Thursday) we had a total of 39 active
positive cases up from 11 when the town was placed under lockdown. We continue
urging our residents to adhere to WHO Covid-19 regulations, sanitize, wear
masks and maintain social distancing among other measures,” she said.
Cllr Kasipo said the refurbishment of Garandichauya
Beerhall into an infectious disease hospital was almost complete. “We are
almost done with it, most of the major works have been done, we are now left
with furnishing and purchasing linen,” she said.
Cllr Kasipo said the localised lockdown was likely to be
extended if the cases continue to increase.
Kwekwe was placed under lockdown following the detection of
the Indian variant of the coronavirus in the town which also claimed the life
of Robson Kadenhe, a popular businessman in the mining town. Chronicle
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