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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu/Leonard Ncube, Chronicle Reporters
ELEVEN people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Matabeleland South after they returned from South Africa recently.

The 11 were among 16 people who tested positive on Wednesday, bringing to 222 the number of cases in Zimbabwe on that day.

According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, one case was also recorded in Harare while Midlands and Masvingo provinces each recorded two.

The 11 new cases in Matabeleland South brought to 32 the number of cases in that province on Wednesday.

“As at June 3, 2020, Zimbabwe had 222 confirmed cases, including 29 recoveries and four deaths,” read the statement from the Ministry.

Meanwhile, the Matabeleland North provincial Covid-19 Taskforce is looking for alternative facilities where it can relocate returnees that are accommodated at learning institutions to pave way for re-opening of schools.

Originally, the taskforce chaired by Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo identified Mosi-oa-Tunya High School in Victoria Falls, Lupane State University and Mabhikwa High School in Lupane as the provincial quarantine centres. Fatima High School, also in Lupane, which had been identified ahead of Mabhikwa, was dropped because there was no running water at the school.

There are other facilities in all the districts across the province, some of them being schools, that were identified to cater for spill overs, although they are not yet in use.

These are Binga High School in Binga, Orap Centre in Siganda area, Inyathi High School in Bubi, Hlangabeza High School in Nkayi, Tsholotsho High School in Tsholotsho and George Silundika High School in Umguza district.

There is also Phezulu Lodge in Victoria Falls which has two returnees who opted to be accommodated where they can pay for themselves as opposed to the shared facilities.

The province has received close to 600 returnees from Botswana, Cameroon, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.

Minister Moyo said technical teams are on the ground looking for alternative facilities.

“Since the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is planning on opening schools especially for final year pupils who are supposed to write final examinations, we have decided to look for alternative facilities for quarantine centres. The Department of Social Welfare and health officials are busy on the ground trying to identify alternative places. In fact, they have been busy the whole week and we might be having names of identified places on Monday,” said Minister Moyo. — @ncubeleon