Government has confirmed that the deadly Indian COVID-19 variant, B.1.617, has hit the country, raising fears that it could overwhelm the southern African nation’s poorly-resourced healthcare system.
The strain was confirmed after samples taken from a Kwekwe man who died after contact with a niece, who had just returned from India, tested positive to COVID-19.
Robson Kadenhe (76) of Chicago Plots along Gokwe Road, who was a hypertension patient, died last Wednesday after testing positive to the virus.
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Health minister, yesterday confirmed the presence of the variant in Zimbabwe.
“Genomic sequencing test was carried out on samples collected from a reported focalised outbreak in Kwekwe which was linked to a traveller from India on the 29th of April 2021, a high risk COVID-19 transmission area,” Chiwenga said.
“The test conducted revealed that the B.1.617 variant predominantly from the Republic of India was detected at the focalised outbreak in Kwekwe.”
He added: “The nation is therefore, advised that this variant B.1.617 is now in Zimbabwe.
“The following travel advisory is, therefore, being issued, people travelling from or transiting from India will be subject to mandatory quarantine at a designated quarantine centre and at their own cost. These travellers will be subjected to a COVID-19 test on arrival despite the status of their travelling certificate.”
Kadenhe’s wife, Mary also tested positive, but their niece Nataly Kadenhe (21) tested negative to the disease.