By Own Correspondent
Zimbabwe has recorded nine new Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours to take the total number of deaths to 22 between Sunday and yesterday from 461 positive cases recorded.
Almost all the 461 cases are community transmissions, representing a stark reminder that citizens need to heed guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of the disease to avoid a huge spike in infections.
In the last 24 hours alone, 130 fresh cases were reported together with the nine deaths.
Since the start of the pandemic in Zimbabwe Covid-19 has killed 339.
According to a Ministry of Health and Child Care daily update last night, all 130 new cases yesterday were local transmissions, while the deaths were spread across the county: Harare (2), Bulawayo (2), Manicaland (1), Mashonaland East (1), Mashonaland West (2) and Masvingo (1).
In total, 1 870 PCR tests were done yesterday, while 55 new recoveries were also reported, taking the national recovery rate to 80,7 percent, on 10 314 recoveries.
However, active cases went up to 2 133 as at yesterday, taking the overall positive tests to 12 786 since March when Covid-19 cases were first noted.
Zimbabwe has been notching higher positive cases since Sunday when 174 fresh cases and two deaths were reported.
All the 174 cases were local transmissions.
On Monday, 97 new cases – all local transmissions – and two deaths were reported while 122 new cases and four deaths were reported Tuesday, with 105 being local cases and 17 returnees from South Africa.
On Wednesday, 112 new cases and four deaths were reported, with 111 being local cases and one returnee from South Africa.
Since March, Zimbabwe has tested 314 065 people using both rapid and PCR tests.
Last night the Ad Hoc Inter Ministerial Task Force on Covid-19 warned citizens to be extra careful this festive season, particularly amid reports of a new strain of the virus both in South Africa and Britain.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, who chairs the Covid-19 information and communication sub-committee, said: “The threat posed by Covid-19 has not rescinded, but has increased as there is a new strain of the virus.
“Now more than ever we need to practice protective and preventive measures such as wearing our masks in public spaces, washing or sanitising our hands, and physical distancing.”
Some citizens fear that returnees who opt to skip borders threaten to undo the efforts recorded by the country in the battle against the pandemic.
Credit: The Herald
