Zimbabwe’s local COVID-19 cases have surged by 80 percent from last week’s figures as more people succumb to the deadly pandemic, latest figures from government have confirmed.
Briefing the media yesterday, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa said the cumulative number of confirmed cases had risen by 56 percent in the past week from 1611 to 2704 while the cumulative number of confirmed local cases has risen by over 80 percent from 791 to 1 615.
In response to the surge in numbers, government announced the establishment of rapid response teams in Harare and Bulawayo, regarded as the hotspots of the pandemic.
“In order to expand testing and contact tracing in hotspot areas, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has established 32 Rapid Response Teams in Harare and Bulawayo,” said Mutsvangwa.
As of 27 July 2020, local cases are in Bulawayo (615), Harare (488) and Gweru (159), Midlands Province over the past week.
To date, the country has confirmed 2704 cases, 542 recoveries and 36 deaths.
