Minister of Health and Child Welfare Dr. Obadiah Moyo has confirmed Zimbabwe’s first positive case of Covid-19 also known as the Coronavirus.
In an address late Friday the Minister said, “This evening Friday the 20th of March 2020, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory confirmed that a suspected case of Covid-19 had tested positive. The patient was in self-quarantine at home after traveling from the UK”
The patient a 38-year-old Caucasian male resident of Victoria Falls, who had traveled to Manchester, UK on the 7th of March 2020 returned home on the 15th of March 2020. The Minister explained that the patient self quarantined, contacted his General practitioner by phone after coughing and extreme sneezing. The GP in-turn contacted the Covid-19 Rapid response team who responded and assessed him then recommended he keeps himself is self isolation. Specimen were collected and taken to reference labs for testing.
Watch the address by the Minister.
"This evening Friday the 20th of March 2020, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory confirmed that a suspected case of Covid-19 had tested positive. This is the first positive case of #covid19Zim . The patient was in self quarantine at home after travelling from the UK" pic.twitter.com/DZEopbL7wi
— Nick Mangwana (@nickmangwana) March 20, 2020