Byo records 155 COVID-19 cumulative deaths

BULAWAYO metropolitan province has so far recorded a cumulative 155 deaths and 4 368 infections of the deadly COVID-19 virus.

This comes on the backdrop of the country having recorded an unprecedented record high of 60 COVID-19 deaths within 24 hours on Monday.

Acting Bulawayo provincial medical director Welcome Mlilo told Southern Eye yesterday that as of Tuesday, there were 26 new cases, 4 368 cumulative cases, four new deaths, 155 cumulative deaths, 110 new recoveries, 3 600 cumulative recoveries, 26 new active cases, 613 cumulative new cases and four institutional deaths.

“Bulawayo metropolitan province, like the rest of the country, continues to record a high number of COVID-19 cases. The number of admissions at the hospitals due to COVID-19 continue to go up and we are also recording a notable number of COVID19-related deaths,” he said.

Mlilo said: “We are however, yet to experience shortage of hospital beds for COVID-19 admissions in the province.”

He said the United Bulawayo Hospital had shouldered the biggest proportion of COVID-19 admissions to date.

Thorngrove COVID-19 treatment facility, Mlilo added, was now also online, further increasing the province's admission capacity.

He revealed that Ekusileni Hospital was not yet operational and work was in progress.

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Health minister, has refuted claims the country's hospitals are overwhelmed following a surge in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the year.

He accused social media of communicating falsehoods that public and private hospitals had run out of beds and equipment.