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Victor Maphosa

Herald Correspondent

A Harare man last week escaped from a quarantine centre at Harare Polytechnic after testing positive to Covid-19 and police have launched a manhunt to prevent the spread of the virus.

Police are also looking for another man who escaped at the same centre before knowing his Covid-19 status.

In a statement, the police appealed to relatives and friends of the escapee to report his whereabouts.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing for information which may lead to the location of a 33-year-old man who escaped from Harare Polytechnic Isolation Centre on June 15, 2020, after testing positive for the Covid-19 virus and another 28-year-old man who also escaped on June 17, 2020, before getting results.

“Family members, friends and close associates of the two are implored to report so that the spread of Covid-19 by the two can be curtailed,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.

Meanwhile, two other returnees recently escaped from a quarantine centre at Plumtree High School, bringing the total number of escapees to 180.

Police have so far, managed to arrest 28 escapees. ZRP said they arrested 1 183 people throughout the country on June 18 2020 only for various offences related to contraventions of the national lockdown regulations, bringing the total cumulative arrests to 71 977.

“Since May 16, 2020, 180 border jumpers and smugglers have been arrested. On Monday June 18, 2020, two truck drivers were arrested for illegally carrying passengers in contravention of the stipulated exemption directives,” he said.

Asst Comm Nyathi encouraged members of the public to comply with the lockdown laws.