Chronicle Editor
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
THE Kwekwe District Covid-19 Taskforce is mobilising resources to ensure that renovations at Torwood Hospital, which is set to be used as an isolation centre are completed.
The move by the taskforce team comes after the Government announced that schools and colleges will no longer be used as quarantine centres for returnees since they are expected to open soon.
Returnees in Kwekwe were being housed at Kwekwe High School. The taskforce has now targeted the hospital as an isolation centre.
Torwood Hospital was previously owned by Ziscosteel before it was sold to a private company.
Speaking during a taskforce meeting last week, chairperson, Mr Vitalis Kwashira said while the hospital, which has a carrying capacity of about 75 people, was the immediate focus, although the taskforce was also looking at other options.
“One of the options we have is to ensure that Torwood Hospital is quickly rehabilitated and become suitable for human habitation since it hasn’t been operating for a long time. Already the bill of quantities has been done and we will look at it and mobilise resources so that, if possible, touch ups are done so that the returnees are transferred to the centre,” said Mr Kwashira.
He said the taskforce was also looking at other options like use of council halls and churches.
“We had another option of using our three local authorities’ halls, but we discovered that most of them fall short on security. Some of them are located near shops which makes it difficult to monitor movements of the returnees so for now we have stopped that one. We, however, will approach churches and see if we can utilise some church buildings,” said Mr Kwashira.
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