By Lloyd Takawira
As the country recorded its first death from the deadly COVID-19 and a third confirmed case, medical personnel have called for government’s “robustness” in dealing with the pandemic.
In a joint statement, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said the government must do more and implement early detection and mitigation measures.
Thorough screening and testing of people at all major ports of entry must be implemented.
“There is need for the government to ensure that there is minimal movement, non-essential public spaces closed and all borders sealed for visitors. There is a need for a minimum of 14-day lockdown, which needs to be implemented sooner rather than later.”
ZAHDR also decried the state of play in dealing with potential cases.
“ZADHR is deeply concerned by the screening process at the ports of entry into Zimbabwe. ZADHR provides the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport as a case study. We are informed that not all passengers are subjected to physical verification of travel history. This provides a loophole for the unchecked entry of high-risk visitors without due screening.
“We also established that no follow-up on whether visitors from high-risk areas are in self-quarantine or not.”
It urged the government to set up a State-managed facility that quarantines all travellers from high-risk countries for 14 days.
Wilkins Hospital, the designated isolation centre, does not have any respiratory support equipment, with ventilators being borrowed from a private facility hospital in Harare when needed, ZADHR added.
However, Health and Childcare Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo downplayed the concerns arguing that the government has stepped up response measures at all ports of entry hence there is no need to worry.
“We have adequate thermal scanners at our borders. As far as isolation is concerned, we make sure that all visitors are well checked and should there be symptoms, we will put them in quarantine. The best quarantine facility is in Victoria Falls, where there are tourists,” Moyo said.
