Zim students to stay put in China

Mirirai Nsingo

As the war against the coronavirus intensifies the Zimbabwean government says it will not seek to repatriate students from China.

 Speaking after an inter-ministerial meeting on Monday the country’s Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo reckoned that the students are better off in China.

 “We have discussed the issue of our students based in China and as a Government we appreciate that the students are better off in China than here.

“In the event that one gets infected, they stand better treatment opportunities in China than Zimbabwe.

“China has already been through the treatment journey with treatment successes having recorded so we have agreed that the students stay in China,” Minister Moyo said.

Zimbabwe has not yet recorded any cases but remains on high alert as incidences keep rising.

 “The incidences of Covid-19 are increasing faster outside China and that is really a cause for concern.

“Zimbabwe is at a higher risk as well and it is just a matter of when the virus will strike in the country. We are doing the best that we can at ports of entries and already working on sprucing up infrastructure especially at our major infectious hospital, Wilkins,” added Moyo.

China and Zimbabwe have agreed on warning their respective nationals against unnecessary travels as the globe frantically fights to contain the virus.

“We continue to urge citizens to avoid travels to China and China has also agreed to warn its nationals against unwarranted movements,” he said.

According to WHO, coronaviruses belong to a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).