MINISTER of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Dr Obadiah Moyo has called on Zimbabweans to restrict unnecessary travel to China amidst growing fears of novel Coronavirus infection which to date has claimed 81 lives infecting more than 2700 more in China.
By Michael Gwarisa
The Coronavirus was first detected in China, Wuhan,a port city of 11 million people in the central Hubei province. CoronaVirus,the ailment, is a Zoonotic disease and can be passed between animals and human beings. To date, Chinese authorities have closed off almost 20 cities in efforts to contain a new CoronaVirus that has killed at least 81 people in recent weeks, with cases confirmed in several countries in Asia and beyond
Briefing Journalists after a tour of at Robert Mugabe International Airport screening facilities, Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Obadiah Moyo said the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe has already directed its citizens to minimise travel into Zimbabwe
What is very very critical at this stage is that we have to delay travel to the areas which are affected with the virus. The epicentre at the moment is Wuhan in China and we are very happy that we have been communicating with the Chinese embassy and they have also advised us that they have also put a delay in travel and cancelling of unnecessary travel to Zimbabwe.
“However, there are Zimbabweans who are living in China or who travel up and down from Harare to Beijing in search of business. We have one or two of such cases and we are currently monitoring them. We are monitoring them after every three days for any symptoms. Infections can move very easily from other countries, that is what we want to try monitor and screen for the diseases at the points of entry,” said Dr Moyo.
He added that, “naturally in these first few weeks of this condition, you will still see people coming into Zimbabwe from China and we can’t stop that.
“What we have to do is make sure we have all the paraphernalia necessary to be able to detect any persons and visitors and make sure that they don’t have the symptoms.”
Health Minister Obadiah Moyo and MoHCC officials
He also said airports and ports of entry are well covered and personnel well trained in the processes of checking on all those who are coming into Zimbabwe. He however added that Zimbabwe was prepared for the CoronaVirus in the event that it finds its way into the country.
“It is a reality that if it is happening in other parts of the world, we are also likely to end up with one or two cases or even more. What we want to do is to make sure that we must put systems in place to make sure that we don’t have any coronavirus in Zimbabwe.”
The Minister also reiterated that the infection is not yet in Zimbabwe and citizens should not panic as government has the situation under control.
“We have got to sell as much awareness top our population as possible. Yes WHO has looked at it and come with a committee of the WHO and it feels that the novel Coronavirus should not be declared as an international outbreak.
“Majority of the concentration is still in China and China is frantically working on making sure that they contain the virus. Our surveillance systems have been activated countrywide but we have special focus on the points of entry and exit,” he said.
Meanwhile, government has set up port health facilities at Robert Mugabe International Airport, Joshua Nkomo Airport, Victoria Falls Airport, Beitbridge, Plumtree and other ports of entry.
