6 employes at Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Companies working in Chiyadzwa tested positive for COVID-19 during a routine check-up, Zim Morning Post reports.
This was confirmed by ZCDC’s spokesperson Sugar Changonda who spoke to the publication and said:
I can confirm that we have positive cases at ZCDC mine. We had workers that were showing some symptoms and we engaged the Ministry of Health and got the workers tested. We had six ZCDC workers that tested positive for COVID-19. We also had two positive cases of other people who are our service providers.
Those that tested positive are on quarantine at Rowa Training Centre in Mutare. Health staff is closely monitoring their conditions and we are told that they are in stable condition. We are looking forward to their recovery
However, the vigorous testing of all workers is ongoing at the mine and so far we are satisfied with the ongoing process. I want to guarantee that mine workers are observing all the health precautions. Our health teams are also on the ground to ensure that the workers comply with the COVID-19 precautions.
However, the Chiyadzwa Community Development Trust, Lovemore Mukwada is concerned if the situation is not given the proper attention it will affect the whole community. Mukwada while speaking to the publication about his concerns said:
We are very much concerned by the fact that we have the information that there are workers who are COVID-19 positive. The fear is that these workers are from the community and this will spread to the
community. I think is issue has to be dealt with as a matter of priority because we feel that ZCDC is defying the COVID-19 health regulations by allowing such a huge number of workers working without considering the precautionary measures. We are afraid that the virus will cascade down into the community
Other community-based organisation in the area Marange Community Trust and Bocha Development Trust are imploring the Health Ministry and ZCDC to attend to the issue with urgency.
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