News / National
COVID-19 hits Beitbridge
01 Jan 2021 at 07:41hrs | Views
TWO doctors, several nurses and other staff at Beitbridge District Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 as the pandemic hit the border town.
Eighteen students from Mukaro Mission in Gutu and Welton Private Primary School, who stay in Beitbridge, have also tested positive.
Dozens of other people including some border officials have tested positive to the pandemic in the border town.
Beitbridge district medical officer Linos Samhere could neither deny nor confirm the development opting to refer all questions to head office.
"As you are aware we are not allowed to speak to the Press.
"You can check with our head office because that information is broadcast from that end," he said.
But staff at the hospital said there was every reason for people to panic since many workers at the hospital had tested positive to COVID-19.
A nurse and her family have already been quarantined at the former Rainbow Hotel which trebles as quarantine, reception and screening centre for people arriving from South Africa.
"She was taken in with her children because she shares accommodation. At almost every other house in the nurses home a person is positive.
"At the nurses home inside the hospital there are more positive than negative staff and people have been told to stay at their houses and self-quarantine," the source said.
Most staff, including general hands that tested positive, have been asked to self-quarantine.
"The situation is not easy anymore when those who are supposed to deliver health are sick," said the source.
Eleven children from Mukaro Secondary School in Gutu, whose headmaster succumbed to the deadly virus were tested after an alarm was raised and tested positive.
Several kids, who are contacts of those children also tested positive hence Beitbridge is a health ticking time bomb.
People in Beitbridge do most of their shopping in Musina and there was panic when 19 workers in a shop frequented by Zimbabweans tested positive to COVID-19.
The recent traffic jam, which saw vehicles stuck at Beitbridge Border Post for more than two weeks, posed a danger in the event of an outbreak.
In 1998/99 a cholera outbreak that started in Beitbridge spread in the region and killed out 5 000 people. There was a general laxity in the observations of COVID-19 rules and regulations in the border town where people have thrown away masks and are not adhering to other precautionary measures.
Residents of the border town are concerned about lack of adherence to the curfew.
Eighteen students from Mukaro Mission in Gutu and Welton Private Primary School, who stay in Beitbridge, have also tested positive.
Dozens of other people including some border officials have tested positive to the pandemic in the border town.
Beitbridge district medical officer Linos Samhere could neither deny nor confirm the development opting to refer all questions to head office.
"As you are aware we are not allowed to speak to the Press.
"You can check with our head office because that information is broadcast from that end," he said.
But staff at the hospital said there was every reason for people to panic since many workers at the hospital had tested positive to COVID-19.
A nurse and her family have already been quarantined at the former Rainbow Hotel which trebles as quarantine, reception and screening centre for people arriving from South Africa.
"She was taken in with her children because she shares accommodation. At almost every other house in the nurses home a person is positive.
"At the nurses home inside the hospital there are more positive than negative staff and people have been told to stay at their houses and self-quarantine," the source said.
Most staff, including general hands that tested positive, have been asked to self-quarantine.
"The situation is not easy anymore when those who are supposed to deliver health are sick," said the source.
Eleven children from Mukaro Secondary School in Gutu, whose headmaster succumbed to the deadly virus were tested after an alarm was raised and tested positive.
Several kids, who are contacts of those children also tested positive hence Beitbridge is a health ticking time bomb.
People in Beitbridge do most of their shopping in Musina and there was panic when 19 workers in a shop frequented by Zimbabweans tested positive to COVID-19.
The recent traffic jam, which saw vehicles stuck at Beitbridge Border Post for more than two weeks, posed a danger in the event of an outbreak.
In 1998/99 a cholera outbreak that started in Beitbridge spread in the region and killed out 5 000 people. There was a general laxity in the observations of COVID-19 rules and regulations in the border town where people have thrown away masks and are not adhering to other precautionary measures.
Residents of the border town are concerned about lack of adherence to the curfew.
Source - newsday
