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Midlands Bureau

A total of 27 people including children and members of staff at Mary Ward Children’s Home in Kwekwe have tested positive for Covid-19.

The development comes in the wake of a surge in positive cases in the mining town with more cases recorded within schools. Mary Ward, Ruvimbo and Chiedza primary schools are some of the schools that have recorded positive cases among pupils.

Midlands Provincial Medical Director (PMD) Dr Reginald Mhene said those who tested positive at the children’s home are in isolation.

“The children’s home houses 66 children and when tests were conducted at the facility, 27 people including staffers and children, tested positive. Modalities have been put in place that whoever gets ill will be taken to hospital,” said Dr Mhene.

Giving an update during a Kwekwe full council meeting recently, Assistant Director Nursing Services, Sister Patricia Shumba said they decided to carry out the tests as part of contact tracing.

“We have some people who tested positive and they passed the virus to their families.

“We then conducted contact tracing which then led us to schools where we got those figures of children testing positive,” she said.

Sister Shumba said those who tested positive have since been placed in isolation and are being monitored.

Kwekwe Mayor, Councillor Angeline Kasipo said the increase in new cases was worrying.

“By yesterday (Thursday) we had a total of 39 active positive cases up from 11 when the town was placed under lockdown.”