The Sunday Mail
Midlands Bureau
A GWERU woman who died on Friday became the fifth person to die of Covid-19, as cases in Zimbabwe continue to spike.
The death is the first coronavirus-related fatality in the Midlands Province.
The last person to die of Covid-19 before the latest case was 82-year-old Gogo Nguni from Mashonaland West Province, who died on April 22.
The latest death was reported by the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Larry Mavima yesterday while addressing a Zanu PF meeting in Gokwe.
Cde Mavima said he was notified of the death by Midlands provincial medical director Dr Reginald Mhene on Friday night.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the death of a woman from Gweru who is said to have been Covid-19 positive. Dr Mhene told me that tests done on the woman after her death showed that she was Covid-19 positive.
“This brings to five the number of Covid-19-related deaths in the country and the first in the province,” said Minister Mavima, who is also the chairperson of the Midlands Provincial Covid-19 taskforce.
Cde Mavima said statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care showed that the local transmission of Covid-19 was on the increase.
He said it was prudent for people to follow both lockdown rules and health guidelines such as maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.
Cde Mavima said law enforcement agents would not hesitate to bring people to book for flouting Covid-19 rules and regulations.
“We have a situation where we have people harbouring relatives and friends who ran away from quarantine centres. It is wrong and unsafe. People who come from quarantine centres must have certificates to that effect. Without one, people must report them to the police,” he said.
As of Friday, Zimbabwe had recorded 479 cases and 63 recoveries.
Meanwhile, Government said it has only managed to account for 30 returnees of the 171 who escaped from various quarantine centres.
