Authorities have said COVID-19 Rapid Response Teams in Bulawayo are increasingly becoming overwhelmed by the continued spike in cases of the pandemic.
As of 20 January 2020, Bulawayo, the second-biggest Covid-19 hotspot after Harare, has seen a cumulative 4 425 recorded cases and 159 deaths since the first case was confirmed in the country last March.
Authorities say half of the new infections in Bulawayo province emanate from people with no symptoms.
Provincial Medical Director, Dr Welcome Mlilo confirmed rapid teams were now failing to cope with new infections. Mlilo told NewZimbabwe.com in an interview:
Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, like the rest of the country, is recording a high number of new Covid-19 cases daily.
We continue to follow up cases as part of our surveillance system.
However, the Rapid Response Teams are overwhelmed by the sheer number of cases, contacts reported daily.
The recent job action within city council negatively impacted the provincial Covid-19 response mechanism but Rapid Response Teams are however operational and they continue to follow up cases.
Mlilo also urged residents to stay at home and isolate when they were not feeling well. He said if a member of a family has tested positive, members of the same household must continue to quarantine at home whilst waiting for the Rapid Response Teams’ visit.
He also said the Ministry of Health and Child Care‘s plans to increase the number of Rapid Response Teams and further strengthen surveillance activities are at an advanced stage.
Bulawayo City Council workers Tuesday resumed work after a five-day strike action over poor salaries, a situation which has crippled critical services such as refuse collection, primary health care and burials.
This comes as the government has also announced that 90 percent of its workers were to work from home, if they should, to decongest workplaces.
More: NewZimbabwe