Zimbabwe’s largest referral hospital on Tuesday said that it will suspend patient visits starting from Wednesday amid surging COVID-19 cases.
To ensure continued patient support from relatives, only the recorded next of kin will be allowed in the day spaces of wards for updates on the patient’s progress and any other requirements, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals said in a statement.
The decision was made “due to the surge in the number of COVID-19 local infections and an increase in reported cases within our institution,” it said.
“This measure has been necessitated by the need to protect inpatients, staff members, and visitors,” it said.
Zimbabwe has witnessed surging COVID-19 infections over the past weeks following reopening schools and restarting the economy two months ago.
As of Tuesday, the country had recorded 10,912 COVID-19 cases, 9,062 recoveries, and 303 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care