A total of 18 people who returned from South Africa and Botswana escaped from Mkoba Teacher’s College quarantine centre in Gweru on Monday, raising fears that they may spread the coronavirus.
George Madzima, the Midlands provincial social welfare officer said after a roll call, it was discovered that 18 people were missing from the quarantine centre. Madzima said:
… At Mkoba Teachers College, 25 people were discharged after testing COVID-19 negative and 18 absconded from the college.
15 are males and three are females and are from Mberengwa, Zhombe, Gweru and one of them is an ex-convict.
So, at the moment we have 284 returning residents at Mkoba Teachers College.
Madzima said that due to delays in testing quarantined people as well as getting PCR results, they end thinking of absconding.
The Officer commanding police in Midlands Province, Commissioner Moses Magandi, however, expressed scepticism over the reports. He said:
In the morning, I got a briefing and wasn’t told of people who absconded. There must be a mistake. So there is a need for us to visit the quarantine centre to see if this is a correct position.