COVID 19 lands Minister Perence Shiri in hospital

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HARARE – Lands and agriculture Minister Perence Shiri missed cabinet on Tuesday after reportedly falling ill just days after his driver succumbed to Covid-19.

Shiri was admitted at a private hospital in Harare, according to government sources. George Charamba, the spokesman for the presidency and cabinet, told ZimLive: “The minister’s driver died from the virus and it is only normal that the minister goes into self-isolation, and in the process miss cabinet, as a contact of his former driver.” Charamba maintained that he was not aware that the 65-year-old former Air Force commander had been hospitalised.

Zimbabwe shut down its Parliament on Tuesday after two MPs tested positive for the respiratory illness whose outbreak was reported in central China late last year. The rapid spread of the disease inside Zimbabwe has forced many companies to temporarily close, the latest being CBZ bank which reported that one of its employees had died from Covid-19 and 35 of 900 employees tested were positive.

On Tuesday, the ministry of health reported 113 new Covid-19 infections, pushing the total cases to 2,817. Four deaths were reported, pushing the death toll to 40. Of the 113 new cases, 112 were local transmissions. There were 62 recoveries. In a statement, the ministry of health said two deaths were recorded in Manicaland, one in Bulawayo and one in Mashonaland East province. The dead are two men aged 40, a man aged 59 and a woman aged 50.

Bulawayo has the most deaths – 17 – followed by Harare with 10, Manicaland with four, Midlands with three, Matabeleland North with two while Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, and Matabeleland South have one death each. Masvingo Province is yet to report a Covid-19 death. Meanwhile, vice president Constantino Chiwenga attended a Cabinet meeting Tuesday following his latest trip to China for a medical check-up.

–Zimlive