47 die of Covid-19 in 24 hours
FORTY-SEVEN people died of Covid19 yesterday to take the total number of deaths to 636, while 1 112 tested positive.
All the positive cases are local transmissions, with 467 from Harare.
Five people also tested positive for Covid-19 at a security check point near Marondera.
Those who tested positive were among the 22 people who were tested at roadblock as the Government intensifies moves to test travellers.
The development comes after the Government dispatched healthcare workers to join the security services at roadblocks to screen those intending to pass through for Covid-19 and carry out awareness campaigns on mitigatory measures to reduce the spread of the pandemic.
The move is expected to help flatten the infection curve.
Health experts deployed to some security checkpoints are mandated to undertake further screening and testing people exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms.
Mashonaland East provincial medical director Dr Paul Matsvimbo said the programme which was in its second day, had so far proved to be an effective way of curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
“We have our own tent here. We have our own health workers who are doing the screening and the testing.
“For those that are positive, we refer them to the local rapid response team,” said Dr Matsvimbo.
The health workers will also advise security personnel to prevent from entering city centres those suspected to be infected with the virus.
Vice chairman of the Ad-Hoc Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Covid-19, Professor Amon Murwira, this week made the announcement on the introduction of healthcare workers at security checkpoints.
“We have agreed that law enforcement should be combined with awareness and also screening. There will be some points where we will actually send doctors to screen people in a car to find out if people are clean and clear in terms of the disease, not only papers,” said Prof Murwira.