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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
MIDLANDS Province has identified six new quarantine centres and about $12 million is required for renovations so that returnees are moved out of educational institutions to pave way for re-opening of schools and universities.

Under lockdown rules, all people returning to Zimbabwe must be tested and be quarantined for 21-days.

Presenting a progress report on the establishment of Covid-19 quarantine and isolation centres yesterday, Midlands provincial social welfare officer Mr George Madzima said Kaguvi Training centre has been identified to house ex-convicts after it was agreed that they be housed alone. Mr Madzima said work that has to be done to get the quarantine centres fully operational include getting bedding and linen as well as electrical connections and plumbing.

“With indications that colleges, universities and schools will open soon, we have identified new quarantine centres across the Midlands Province. In Gweru we have identified Senga Training Centre which has a holding capacity of 70, Dadaya Training Centre can take in 200. If refurbishments can be done it can take 100 more. Kaguvi Training Centre has been identified for ex-convicts and can accommodate about 24. We have also identified Nyamuroro Vocational Training Centre in Gokwe which can accommodate 50 with some refurbishments. In Kwekwe we have identified Torwood Hospital which was initially identified as an isolation centre but now can be used as a quarantine centre and can accommodate 71. We also have Sebakwe Primary School old site, there is a new school but we have this old site which can accommodate 20 people,” he said.

Mr Madzima said there was need to raise about $12 million to rehabilitate the proposed quarantine centres to make them habitable. “We want to make these places habitable; Senga needs about $4 million, Dadaya $340 000, Kaguvi $2 million, Nyamuroro $4 million, Torwood $1 million, Sebakwe $230 000 for things like bedding and linen and electricity connections in order for them to be habitable. But for now, Senga, Dadaya and Kaguvi are ready to accommodate returnees in their current state and if we get ex-convicts, they will be accommodated at Kaguvi Training Centre,” he said.

Mr Madzima said they were also looking for another site in Gokwe South to replace Cheziya Primary school as a quarantine centre. He said the province has so far received over 590 returnees with some having already been discharged after testing negative to Covid-19.

“From the time we started receiving returnees, Gweru Polytechnic College received 112 returnees, all of whom have been discharged. Mkoba Teachers College had 327 returnees at its peak and 108 have been discharged with more expected to be discharged today once they get results. Kwekwe High School has 83 returnees and none has been discharged, Dadaya Youth Training Centre in Zvishavane has 79 returnees. So as of today, we have received about 600 returnees, from Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland, DRC, Botswana,” said Mr Madzima.