Embassy in constant touch with locals in China
THE Zimbabwean Embassy in China is in constant communication with locals living in the Hubei province in China, where scores have been given assurance that Chinese authorities have put in place adequate measures to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19).
In a statement, the embassy said it had been inundated by calls from locals who wanted to know if Zimbabwe had plans to evacuate them from China.
“Our embassy continues to receive phone calls and e-mails from students and parents asking if there are any evacuation plans by the Government,” reads the statement.
“The embassy has been doing its best to calm and reassure them that at the moment the containment measures put in place by the Chinese authorities are adequate.”
This comes as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus reached 66 492 by Friday, according to the Chinese Embassy in Harare.
In an official update, the embassy said while there were 8 969 suspected cases under monitoring, 8 096 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.
According to the update, 2641 new confirmed cases were recorded on Friday, while 143 people succumbed to the disease and 849 were in critical condition.
On Friday alone, 1 373 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, while 2 277 new cases of suspected infections were recorded.
“According to the WHO’s situation report on 14 February, in the previous 24 hours, no new countries reported cases of COVID-19; there had been 49 053 laboratory-confirmed (2056 new) cases globally, including 505 laboratory-confirmed (58 new) cases in 24 countries and 2 deaths (1 new) outside China,” reads the update report.
About 217 medical teams made up of 25 633 medical workers had been deployed to Hubei province to help combat the novel coronavirus as of Friday, a senior official with China’s National Health Commission said yesterday. Meanwhile, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) of the African Union (AU) says enhanced efforts are underway to prepare for any possible outbreak of COVID-19.
Africa CDC director Dr John Nkengasong told the press at his weekly press briefing on Friday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the centre is coordinating efforts on the continent’s preparedness and response for any possible outbreak.
There are no confirmed cases on the continent yet.
Dr Nkengasong said a continental taskforce on coronavirus has been established to marshal response efforts.
“There have been 51 suspected cases reported and all of them have tested negative by the standard test that has been used. We continue to be very active in this process to prepare our continent,” said the director.
The continental taskforce comprising experts across Africa is coordinated from five African countries — Senegal, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa — is overseeing five major areas of surveillance, infection prevention and control, clinical management of patients with severe coronavirus infection, risk communication and community management.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) announced yesterday that no cases of coronavirus have been reported in Zimbabwe, contrary to reports circulated on social media and online reports.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care would like to categorically deny the report . . . on coronavirus. The said 118 cases are fake,” said the ministry in a statement.
“The MoHCC is seriously concerned by the falsehoods that are continously reported by individuals via social media and in some newspapers. Such falsehoods are damaging to the country’s image and cause panic and despondency among the public.”