Companies to ensure employees are tested for Covid-19

Vusumuzi Dube Senior Reporter

COMPANIES willl foot the bills to buy Covid-19 rapid test kits to test their employees as part of Government requirements for mandatory testing for all employees.

This comes as Zimbabwe enters day two of its downgraded level two lockdown, which has seen the reopening of industry and commerce, however under strict conditions inclusive of he need for mandatory testing and screening.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Child Care on Monday revealed that as part of measures to operationalize the new regulations, they had come up with a number of guidelines meant to be adhered to by companies that were listed to be opening.

“To expedite the testing process, companies are encouraged to procure approved Covid-19 rapid test kits, for themselves, in line with specifications provided by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“Employers must arrange with the designated testing facilities- public and private- for their employees to be tested at an agreed time at the facilities or at the workplace. For small organisations, the employees can go to the health facilities for their testing after making prior arrangements,” reads part of the statement.

The Ministry said, to avoid congestion, large companies testing can be done at the organisation’s facilities but the companies had to ensure adequate space and conditions for the tests to be done.

Meanwhile, according to the latest Covid-19 update by the Ministry of Health and Child Care the country’s confirmed Covid-19 positive cases remain at 34. This is inclusive of five recoveries and four deaths.

Of the confirmed cases, 19 are male, this representing 56 percent of the figure. The most affected age group is that of between 15 and 29 years with 11 confirmed cases.

The 30 to 44 years and 45 to 59 years age groups each have eight confirmed cases, five cases in the 60 years and above while the 0 to 14-year age group has two cases.