Coronavirus - Zimbabwe: COVID-19 Update (1 May 2020)

The Ministry would like to reassure the nation that we continue to be guided by the key values and principles of professionalism, transparency and accountability and that, the systems we have in place will assure continued reporting of accurate and reliable test results in line with our Quality Management System.

In the meantime, today, a total of 977 tests were done as shown in table I below, giving a total of 9291 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. Results for the PCR tests done in Harare and Bulawayo today, were still pending at the time of print.

Table 1: Distribution of tests done today

Province Number of tests done Mat. South 12 Mat. North 153 Bulawayo 170* Mash. Central 130 Midlands 13 Manicaland 155 Harare 344* TOTAL 977

*Disaggregation of tests done by province was not available at the time of print

Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has thirty-four confirmed cases , including five recoveries and four deaths.

Table 2: Number of confirmed cases to date

Province No. of Confirmed Cases Matabeleland North 1 Bulawayo 12 Harare 13** Mashonaland East 5 Mashonaland West 3 Total 34

**6 cases reported on 29 April 2020 have been confirmed negative after Quality Assurance.

The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be guided by the COVID-19 containment strategy which is based on intensified active surveillance, timely case detection, testing, isolation and management of all COVID-19 cases. Further, the Ministry would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe.