By A Correspondent- China is set to send a technical team for a needs assessment at Zimbabwe’s Wilkins infectious diseases hospital in Harare.

This was announced by the Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Guo Shaochun after visiting the isolation centre on Thursday.

Shaochun said that this was meant to boost Zimbabwe’s preparedness against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

He added:

China would like us to assist African countries in fighting against coronavirus within our ability; that is why we came here and to discuss that possibility of upgrading some basic conditions of this hospital

The virus which was first reported in China in December 2019 has now rapidly spread to more than two dozen countries killing thousands of people.

As of Thursday, 12 cases had been confirmed cases in Africa as follows:

• Algeria – 5
• Egypt – 2
• Morroco – 1
• Nigeria – 1
• Senegal – 1
• South Africa – 1
• Tunisia – 1

The rate at which the virus is worrying particularly considering that most health sectors in developing countries are incapacitated to prevent and or contain the virus.

Philanthropist and founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates warned that the virus might kill more than ten million in Africa due to the state of the health systems on the continent.-Statemedia