Zimbabwe Coronavirus “patient” leaves isolation

Samantha Rusare

The 27-year-old Zimbabwean woman who was suspected to have been infected by the coronavirus will be discharged from isolation at Wilkins hospital in Harare on Thursday.

Preliminary tests on Wednesday showed that she was negative of the virus.

Authorities in Harare said the woman, who arrived from China on Tuesday, will however remain under strict surveillance for the next 21 days.

Harare City Health Director, Dr Prosper Chonzi told ZTN that more tests will be conducted to conclusively establish her status.

“We are going to discharge her today and strictly put her under surveillance for the next 21 days then we will discharge her completely,” he said.

The 27-year-old woman, whose identity is not yet known, arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport from China aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Tuesday. She had been to Wuhan but when she travelled to Zimbabwe she was coming from Guangzhou.

Meanwhile there are over 3 000 Zimbabweans who are being monitored for coronavirus after having arrived in the country from countries with recorded cases.  

This was revealed by the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo in Parliament on Thursday.

Dr Moyo said Zimbabwe was scaling up its preparedness for Coronavirus.

“We have testing equipment, which brings results in 5 hours. We are now waiting for the most advanced which can test in 15 minutes.”