25 Midlands nurses test Covid-19 positive

A TOTAL of 25 nurses and three Registrar General’s (RG) department officers stationed at Zvishavane District Hospital have tested Covid-19 positive.

The RG’s department has a sub-office at the hospital.

The positive cases have been put under isolation to curb the spread of the virus.

The nurses and the RG’s officers tested positive at a time when about 25 nurses who attended to a Covid-19 positive case at Claybank Private Hospital in Gweru have been isolated as test results are awaited.

A doctor who attended to the same patient has since tested negative.

The Gweru District Rapid Response team has also traced three other people who were in contact with the Covid-19 positive patient.

By Sunday, Midlands province had 85 cases and two deaths.

Minister of State for Midlands Provincial

Affairs and Devolution Larry Mavima, who is also the Midlands Provincial Covid-19 taskforce confirmed the latest Zvishavane cases.

The Minister said the nurses and RG’s officers received their results on Sunday.

He said last week, Zvishavane District Hospital received eight PCR positive results of which two were nurses prompting the testing of the health personnel at the institution.

“On the 13th of July 2020, Zvishavane district hospital received 8 PCR positive results of which two were for health care workers.

“These results prompted the testing of other healthcare workers and other probable contacts within the hospital on the same day,” he said.

Minister Mavima said 25 out of 28 health care workers tested positive.

“Three Registry staff also tested positive. Investigations are underway to establish the source and characterise the pattern of transmission of infection,” he said.

Minister Mavima said measures, including contact tracing, are being taken to curb further spreading of the infection.