Ministry of Health and Child Care CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE: 11 MARCH 2020
The Ministry of Health and Child Care would like to advise the nation that the 26-year old Thai man who had previously absconded from Wilkins Infectious Disease Hospital, has since tested Negative for COVID-19.
We also would like to report a concern raised by the management of a local hotel in Harare to the Ministry, over the travel history of a Chinese man that they had at the hotel and the potential of him having COVID-19 disease.
This man had left Guangzhou on the 10th February 2020 en route to Harare via South Africa. He then arrived in Harare on the 10 of March and booked into the hotel.
On receiving the hotel’s concern, the Ministry immediately alerted the local COVID19 Response Team at Wilkins Hospital. The team then proactively went to the hotel to assess him before he was referred to them.
On assessment, he was found to have no symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and his body temperature was normal. He, therefore, did not fit the WHO case definition of a suspected case.
Self-isolation in his hotel room was advised. This was to be complemented by daily follow-ups from the local COVID-19 Response team.
Once again, the Ministry would like to reassure the nation that to date, there is NO confirmed case of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.
As part of its efforts to strengthen Zimbabwe’s National COVID-19 response, the ministry continues to resource mobilise for implementation of the National COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan.
The Ministry would, therefore, like to inform the nation that more resources have been identified to facilitate the implementation of this plan.
These include commitments confirmed today by the Global Fund Executive Director, who is currently in Bulawayo on a support visit to Global Fund-supported projects in Zimbabwe. A total of up to 5% of the USD$500 million Global Fund grant to Zimbabwe can potentially be used to support the implementation of the National COVID-19
Preparedness and Response Plan.
As of the 10th March 2020, 113 702 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 4 012 deaths have been reported from 109 countries globally. The majority of these are from China. Heightened surveillance, including a mandatory screening at all ports of entry continues to be done to minimise importation of COVID-19 into Zimbabwe.The Ministry continues to be guided by and follows WHO guidelines and advice on COVID-19 surveillance, follow up and case management.
Recommendations and advice for the public: The Ministry continues to advise everyone to remain vigilant as the risk of COVID-19 is very high. With the global burden of COVID-19 and the high risk of transmission, it is understandable that the public may feel anxious about the outbreak.
The Ministry, therefore, encourages everyone to get reliable COVID-19 information from the Ministry’s Daily Updates and Situation Reports or from WHO advice on https://www.epi-win.com/advice-and-information/general-public. Once again, the Ministry would like to advise the public to exercise good personal hygiene (frequent washing of hands with soap and water, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing etc).
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