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Herald Reporter

While more than 5 000 Zimbabweans have now recovered from Covid-19, for the second day running Zimbabwe has seen double figures of Covid-19 deaths following a modest lull, with 13 new deaths reported yesterday following the 11 on Tuesday to take the total toll to 179, and with 103 of these being in Harare.

Ten of the latest 13 deaths announced yesterday by the Ministry of Health and Child Care were in Harare, two in Matabeleland South and one in Mashonaland East.

Only 55 new cases were reported yesterday, with local infections being just 36 and the other 19 among quarantined residents returning from South Africa and Botswana, but the ministry did note that the figures from Harare and Bulawayo were not included, although the 10 Harare deaths were. These 55 take the cumulative total to 6 251.

On a far more positive note, the number of recoveries hit 5 001, although once again some provinces, and in particular Harare and Midlands (the third focus), have fallen behind on compiling recovery statistics.

The latest recoveries allow the ministry to estimate that the recovery rate is close to 80 percent.

Harare remains the worst hit province with 2 498 cases and 103 deaths, but with 1 962 recoveries. Bulawayo has 1 260 cases, 29 deaths and 1 140 recoveries while Midlands has 516 cases, six deaths and 467 recoveries.

With several of Harare’s satellite towns in Mashonaland East and West, almost on the city boundaries, it is likely that some of the cases and deaths in these two provinces are from Greater Harare. The province includes just the city, Chitungwiza and Epworth while Ruwa, Norton and the new settlements beyond Mount Hampden are in neighbouring provinces.