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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
HEALTH authorities in Beitbridge have cleared 48 people who had been put on mandatory quarantine in the border town on Monday to complete the process at their homes.

The group was given the green light to travel to their final destinations after an Indian returnee they had travelled with from Johannesburg on Sunday and had a fake health clearance certificate, tested negative for Covid-19 yesterday.

The travellers arrived in the country aboard a Munhenzva bus which was intercepted by port health authorities.

Beitbridge District Medical Officer Dr Lenos Samhere said following the discovery of a fake clearance certificate, all passengers were quarantined pending testing.

“We had to conduct PCR tests on all the 50 people who had travelled in that bus and 48 including the woman who came from India, tested negative,” said Dr Samhere.

He said the remaining two who were coming from South Africa tested positive to the ordinary Covid-19 variant and were on isolation pending further management.

“We have cleared the rest of the passengers to go and self-quarantine at their final destinations,” said Dr Samhere.

He said the woman who had a history of travelling to India where there is a more virulent Covid-19 variant, allegedly acquired a fake health clearance certificate.

Dr Samhere said the matter was picked by the Rapid Response Team during a routine Covid-19 screening at the border.

Zimbabwe has been lauded internationally for its Covid-19 response that has kept infections relatively low. — @tupeyo