Zimbabwe COVID-19 Deaths Reach 100, Total Case Hits 4,451

By Daniel Jones, Harare

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Covid-19 deaths in Zimbabwe have hit 100 for the first time since the first case in March, with total case count in the politically troubled country reaching 4, 451.

While statistics may appear low compared to other countries, the President Mnangagwa led nation, with a failing health system, is struggling to detect the source of several local cases feared to have been fuelled by citizens illegally returning into the country without going through screening.

Most of the deaths are detected posthumously after investigations.

In a daily update, the country’s Health and Child Care Ministry said five deaths were recorded on Friday when 56 new cases were recorded, bringing to the total cases to 4 451.

This was the first time less than 100 new cases were confirmed in a day since August 1 when 490, of which 485 of them were local, were recorded.

On other days more than 100 positive cases were reported per day, as the country recorded a surge especially in local transmissions starting in July.

Sixty-nine deaths had been recorded by August 1 before the number cumulatively increased to 102 on Friday.

“Fifty-six cases tested positive for Covid-19 today. These include 54 locals and two returnees from South Africa. The cumulative number of confirmed cases is 4,451 cases of which 3,353 are local and 1,098 are returnees from other countries,” said the Health Ministry in a statement.

A total of 1,345 had recovered while 3,004 remain active.

Five deaths were recorded on Friday, after 13 others on Thursday.

Harare and Bulawayo metropolitan cities are the Covid-19 hotspots with 1,699 and 1,093 cases and highest number of deaths, recording 55 and 23 respectively.

Total Rapid Diagnostic Testing and Polymerase Chain Reaction tests done since March when the country recorded its first positive case are 147,026.