Zvishavane District Hospital has been shut down with no admissions and health care services after 25 health workers at the institution tested positive to Covid-19.
The development was confirmed by Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Larry Mavima who is the provincial Covid-19 taskforce chairperson.
The minister said health authorities were now tracing contacts of the health caregivers, most of them being nurses. In a statement, Mavima said:
On the 13th of July 2020, Zvishavane district hospital received 8 PCR positive results of which 2 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. The hospital received the results today 19 July 2020 and 25 out of 28 health care workers tested positive.
He added that 3 officials from the district registrar’s office who were working at the hospital also tested positive.
The senator also indicated that investigations were already underway to establish the source and characterise the pattern of transmission of infection.
This comes amid calls by health caregivers countrywide for the government to provide enough personal protective equipment and restore their October 2018 salaries.
More: The Herald