Nine Malawians who entered Zimbabwe illegally from SA test positive for Covid-19

Malawi Health Minister Jappie Mhango says the country reocorded one new Covid-19 case on May 19. Zimbabwe media reported that nine Malawian national have tested Covid-19 positive in Zimbabwe. Photo: Facebook/Malawi Government

Malawi Health Minister Jappie Mhango says the country reocorded one new Covid-19 case on May 19. Zimbabwe media reported that nine Malawian national have tested Covid-19 positive in Zimbabwe. Photo: Facebook/Malawi Government

Published May 20, 2020

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RUSTENBURG - Nine Malawian nationals who crossed illegally into Zimbabwe from South Africa and were intercepted have tested positive for Covid-19, Zimbabwe media reported on Wednesday.

State-owned daily The Herald reportedthe infected Malawians and 32 others jumped the border into Zimbabwe on Tuesday. Security agents on patrol intercepted them while they were seeking transport from drivers at a local truck stop. 

According to the report, the group was profiled and screened for Covid-19 and nine were isolated at Beit Bridge pending further tests. The other 32 were transported to Harare and are awaiting repatriation.

The Herald further reported the police were yet to locate 19 people who escaped quarantine at Beit Bridge on Monday night. They were among the people who were arrested along the Limpopo border for facilitating the smuggling of goods. So far, 27 people have escaped from the centre since it started operating. 

The first group of eight absconded in the first week of operation, prompting authorities to beef up security in conjunction with the army. The Beit Bridge quarantine centre can hold 280 people but the government has set the maximum at 150.

The centre was used for screening and dispatching Zimbabweans coming from South Africa to different provincial quarantine centres nearer to their final destinations.

South Africa has recorded more than 17 000 cases of Covid-19 – the highest in Africa – with 312 deaths and almost 8 000 recoveries. 

In Zimbabwe, there have been 46 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with four deaths and 18 recoveries. 

Malawi on Tuesday registered one new case of coronavirus infection, bringing its total number of cases to 71, with three deaths and 27 recoveries. Health Minister Jappie Mhango said the new case was a 21-year-old man from Ntcheu who returned from South Africa on April 28.

African News Agency 

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