TWO more people have succumbed to COVID-19, bringing Zimbabwe’s death toll to six, while the number of confirmed cases rose to 489.
BY BRENNA MATENDERE
A 60-year-old woman died at home in Gweru last week and another 79-year-old woman from Bulawayo died at an isolation facility in the city.
This came at a time President Emmerson Mnangagwa has relaxed the national lockdown measures on the assumption that the country has managed to contain the virus, which has killed over 465 000 and affected 8,8 million people globally.
Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavima told journalists on Saturday that health officials collected samples from the deceased woman in Gweru, which came back positive.
“A 60-year-old lady had a sudden onset of headache and death at Sangara Farm in Gweru last Sunday,” he said.
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“The health team collected samples for COVID-19 testing from the corpse. The body was sent to Bulawayo on Tuesday for a post-mortem, which confirmed subarachnoid haemorrhage with hypovolemic shock.
“The body was taken to Buhera on Wednesday and was buried on Thursday. COVID-19 results came on Friday and were positive.”
Mavima said before her death, the woman had come into contact with several people and medical teams in the Midlands province had collected samples from some of them for COVID-19 testing.
“Twenty-three contacts had samples collected for COVID-19 testing today (Saturday). Contacts are also being followed up in Buhera,” he said.
Investigations are currently going on to determine how the lady had contracted the virus since she had not travelled out of the country.
Zimbabwe recorded its first COVID-19 death on March 23, being that of broadcaster Zororo Makamba.
Until the recent deaths, only four people had succumbed to the dreaded pandemic.