Bakery workers forge COVID-19 results to request leave days

A LOCAL confectionary company has uncovered a plot which its employees has been using in connivance with some health practitioners to fake COVID-19 test results.

Police have since arrested 28-yearold Daniel Chingandi of Beitbridge who was found in possession of fake COVID-19 posetive certificates bearing the logo of a Harare laboratory.

An internal memo to staff dated December 24, Proton Bakeries management showed that its employees were buying fake COVID-19 certificates to request leave days.

“Please note that to some of our employees who are working with some unscrupulous health practitioners and faking COVID-19 positive results for purposes of taking sick leave, the business has reviewed its position on all positive COVID-19 Antigen test results,” the memo written by Proton

human resources manager, one H Tamboonei read.

“All employees, who test positive after a COVID-19 Antigen test will be further referred for a PCR test, through our safety, health and environmental management department before isolation. This is with immediate effect.”

Police in Beitbridge said Chingandi was arrested and found in possession of COVID-19 certificates bearing the logo of GoPath Clinical Laboratory and Baines Pathology Laboratory in Harare. While GoPath Clinical Laboratories is, indeed, based in the Avenues in Harare, Baines Pathology Laboratory does not seem to exist.

“Police recovered a Pro-line till printer, Samsung P580 laptop, Conon printer, Huawei p40 cellphone amd a fake COVID-19 certificate from the suspect,” police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.