Zimbabwe is training more lab scientists with COVID-19 positive cases rising to 14 according to an update from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Harare with seven positive cases has been the highest, followed by Mashonaland East with 4, Bulawayo has two and Matabeleland North has one.
“Additionally, in line with our decentralisation strategy for testing, training of lab scientists at the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo for COVID-19 testing is currently taking place,” the Ministry says.
“Once completed, these will provide COVID-19 testing services for the Southern Region starting on Monday next week.”
The development comes at a time when critics raise concern on the pace at which testing is done with case 11 becoming deceased before results had come out.
“Active contact tracing for the late, case#11 from Bulawayo is in progress. To date, we have identified 47 primary contacts of this case,” says the Ministry.
“The Ministry established that at the tourist resort in Hwange, where case 11 and his wife visited between the 14th and 16th March 2020, there were no other guests at the time of their visit. Following their departure, the lodge has not booked any clients to date.”
“Further, the Ministry established that all the 7 staff members that case 11 was in direct contact with during his stay asymptomatic.”
Zimbabwe that has conducted 547 cumulative tests so far witnessed three deaths from COVID-19.
The handling of two of the deceased victims of the pandemic have brought questions amongst the critics who believe the country is not ready to deal with the crisis.
The Ministry of Health has always argued that Zimbabwe is ready to deal with COVID-19.
