The Zimbabwean government has announced the new criteria for testing coronavirus after it decentralised the procedures from Harare.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana used microblogging site Twitter to announce the development.
The statement read:
NEW #COVID19ZIM TESTING CRITERIA
-All cases meeting case definition
-All travellers into the country will be rapidly tested on arrival and PCR on before discharge from quarantine
-People with influenza-like symptoms
-All contacts of confirmed cases
All patients with fever symptoms in health facilities
-All frontline healthcare workers
-Community deaths in areas where there is local transmission
-All the community around a cluster of cases
-All above the 60s admitted with a chronic condition
Those working during lockdown who were interfacing with the community including those in law enforcement, service providers and employees of retail businesses including petrol attendants.
Zimbabwe has so far tested less than 700 people for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Besides social distancing, mass testing of citizens is considered to be the most effective way of curbing the spread of COVID-19.
