Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
ZIMBABWE is investigating a suspected case of coronavirus from a 27-year-old woman who arrived in the country from China onTuesday.
The woman is being monitored at Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital in Harare after arriving from Wuhan, Hubei province — the epicentre of the outbreak in China.
The director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Portia Manangazira yesterday said a team of medical experts including Chinese doctors was attending to the case.
“We are investigating a case of suspected coronavirus from a 27-year-old woman who arrived in the country on Tuesday from Wuhan. She is being held at the Wilkins specialised unit in isolation. We have taken tests to South Africa and the tests results will be back on Friday. Until then, the case will be treated as a confirmed case as we need to take all the necessary precautions,” said Dr Manangazira.
“We were already aware that she was coming and were told that she had tested negative for the virus. We have since taken all necessary steps of putting her in isolation until test results are back from South Africa. We urge the public not to panic as the matter is under control and all required procedures have been followed.”
Last week, Government expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness in the country to detect and fight the coronavirus after a tour of the country’s ports of entry.
The Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo made the remarks after conducting a tour of ports of entry in Matabeleland and the Bulawayo City Council-run Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital to gauge their preparedness to deal with coronavirus that has claimed more than 2 000 lives in China.
He said there is need for Government departments to collaborate to ensure that the country’s borders are not porous as this is key in detecting and preventing the deadly coronavirus from spreading into the country.
Dr Moyo said provincial ministers have to ensure that every hand is on deck to prevent the virus from spreading into the country.
He said his ministry was also capacitating laboratories to enable them to conduct tests of suspected cases as soon as they are detected. The Minister said the country has done well as no suspected cases have been recorded so far. — @andile_tshuma
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