...as Covid-19 positive cases are released into self-isolation
Moses
Ziyambi
The five quarantine
centres in Masvingo province are now largely empty due to low numbers of new
arrivals from neighbouring countries, TellZim News can reveal.
The province set aside
Masvingo Teachers’ College, Masvingo Polytechnic, Rupagwana in Chiredzi, Bikita
Training Centre and Alvord Training Centre in Masvingo Rural as quarantine
centres to accommodate people repatriated from neighbouring countries.
With a capacity of 300
inmates, Masvingo Teachers’ College is the largest, followed by Masvingo
Polytechnic which can hold 200 inmates at a time. Bikita Training Centre and Alvord
can take just under 50 people each while Rupangwana can take only 26.
Speaking at a meeting
of the risk communication subcommittee of the provincial Covid-19 taskforce over
the weekend, Masvingo provincial information officer Rogers Irimayi said there
were only 42 inmates at Masvingo Poly as on June 06, while all the other
centres were now cleared.
“This is due to
declining numbers of new arrivals being repatriated lawfully through the regular
border points. It is worrisome; however, that many more people are coming back
into the country through illegal crossing points in order to avoid mandatory
quarantine. We urge members of the public to work with law enforcement and
report such people who put everybody else at risk,” said Irimayi.
It was also revealed that the vast majority of the 37 people who tested Covid-19 postive in the province, had been released into self-isolation at home where the Ministry of Health makes follow-up checks on them.
Government last week
published names of people who escaped from quarantine and urged the public to
help efforts to apprehend them.
