CIMAS medical aid society on Saturday disclosed that 22 staff members at its headquarters in Harare tested positive to COVID-19 last week and were immediately isolated.
BY EVERSON MUSHAVA/ GARIKAI TUNHIRA/JAIROS SAUNYAMA
In a statement, Cimas chief executive officer Vulindlela Ndlovu said one worker tested positive to COVID-19 on Thursday and the company immediately invited the COVID-19 rapid response team to do contact tracing where 21 workers linked to the first case also tested positive.
“A member of our reception staff tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, 16 July 2020 following routine and random testing of our staff,” Ndlovu said.
“We also proceeded to test staff in that facility as well as other staff who share transport with her and 21 more have tested positive for the virus. While the source of the infections is unknown, common factors among those who tested positive is that they all shared transport and/or shared workstations, computers, or telephone handsets,” Ndlovu said.
He said all those who tested positive were receiving treatment under the recently introduced Cimas COVID-19 cover.
As a precautionary measure, Ndlovu said all Cimas premises in Harare were immediately disinfected.
“The Cimas High Glen Clinic, in a separate incident, has been closed temporarily following the exposure of a staff member to a confirmed case.”
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Cimas also announced the closure of its walk-in centres to mitigate against the spread of the virus starting tomorrow.
“The lesson here is that while clinicians (nurses and doctors) are the ones who are most exposed as they have to be in close proximity with patients, we are encouraged that with the correct use of personal protective equipment we can reduce infections,” Ndlovu said.
“We are, however, concerned that most of us, non-clinicians are doing a disservice to the fight against COVID-19 by, for example, not wearing masks properly and by not avoiding crowded public places when it is in our power to do so.”
He added: “After the event, we now learn that some of those who tested positive had in fact been suffering from ‘flue’ a few days earlier and this is despite a strict ‘daily temperature check’ regime.”
At Premier Services Medical Aid Society, managing director Tendai Kapumha said two employees at the company head office tested positive for COVID-19 last Friday.
“The affected staff have gone into isolation at home and are receiving the necessary support and medical attention,” he said, adding that those that had been identified as being in close contact had been personally notified.
The head office will be closed from today until Sunday for fumigation and disinfection purposes.
Also, sugar refiners starafricacorporation yesterday said four employees tested positive for COVID-19.
“Sadly, one of the four employees that tested positive subsequently passed away and the company expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy to his family, relatives and friends. As there was a chance that these employees who tested positive could have interacted with other employees at the workplace, a decision was taken to temporarily close the operations at Goldstar Sugars and Country Choice Foods in strict adherence to the requirements of the public health authorities and World Health Organisation guidelines,” starafricacorporation chief executive Regis Mutyiri said in a statement.
He said arrangements were immediately made to deep clean and thoroughly disinfect the premises while all employees and service providers on site were sent for testing for COVID-19.
“The programme for polymerase chain reaction tests is expected to be completed by July 21, 2020 and the outcome of the tests will allow a controlled resumption of operations thereafter.”
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart yesterday issued a statement saying a parishioner, Mukoma Thomas, had succumbed to COVID-19 and urged contacts of the deceased to self-isolate.
NMB Bank chief executive officer Benefit Washaya yesterday said one staff member at their Southerton branch, who was last at work on July 10, had tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, four staff members at the privately-run Watershed College in Marondera have also reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and have been isolated at the school.
Mashonaland East provincial epidemiology and disease control officer Paul Matsvimbo said he was looking for “finer details” into the matter.
College principal Fiona Benzon, however, said only one worker tested positive a fortnight ago.
“We have an IT staff who tested positive to COVID-19 about one-and-half weeks ago. Do not write anything to damage the reputation of my school, there is only a single case,” she pleaded.
But a source said five staffers had been infected.
“They have since been put in isolation and most of those who contracted it were sharing the school bus and interacting at school since they were conducting online lessons,” the source said.
Zimbabwe has recorded 1 478 coronavirus cases and 25 deaths.
