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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE Matabeleland North provincial quarantine centre in Victoria Falls has received 24 more returnees bringing the total number of people kept at the facility to 84, up from 60 on Tuesday.

The Matabeleland North Covid-19 Taskforce has therefore identified an alternative centre at Fatima High School in Lupane, as well as seven other facilities in all the districts across the province to cater for spill overs.

These are Binga High School in Binga, Orap Centre at Siganda and Inyathi High School in Bubi; Lupane State University, Hlangabeza High School in Nkayi, Tsholotsho High School in Tsholotsho and George Silundika High School in Umguza district.

Mosi-oa-Tunya High School in Victoria Falls was identified as the provincial quarantine centre with a capacity to accommodate 100 people, and the province chose Fatima High in Lupane early this week to act as an alternative provincial centre as more and more people were being deported from a number of countries including Botswana.

The task force is seeking more donations such as bedding, food and clothes from well-wishers to cater for the growing number of returnees.

“The Mosi-oa-Tunya quarantine centre is fast approaching its capacity of 100 people. We received 24 new returnees hence we now have 84 people meaning we may reach 100 any day.

“It has been proposed that when it reaches its capacity, some of the people will be moved tentatively to Fatima High School and as such there is need for more provisions,” said Matabeleland North Provincial Social Welfare Officer Mr Macnon Chirinzepi.

Seventy-four of the returnees are adults while 10 are children.

42 are from Botswana, 25 from Namibia, 14 from Zambia, two from Cameroon has and one from South Africa one.

None of the deportees have been released as they are yet to complete the mandatory 21 days imposed by Government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care on all Zimbabweans returning into the country in the wake of the Covid-19.

The taskforce requires 100 blankets for Fatima centre and 50 for each of the seven-district quarantine centres, food and other provisions.

The department of Social Welfare is catering for the returnees with the help of the private sector and some individuals who have donated foodstuffs, clothes, toiletries, television sets and other items for use by people at Mosi-oa-Tunya school.