By A Correspondent- A health officer in Chipinge was recently suspended from work after she allegedly divulged confidential information regarding suspected coronavirus cases on social media,

According to reports received, the health officer,  Shungu Masuku, an environmental health officer at the Chipinge town council, sent several messages to a WhatApp group informing the group participants that there were six serious potential cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) that the local authority was dealing with.

After news found its way to local authorities that Shungu illicitly leaked the information to the public, they immediately suspended her.

It is understood that the suspected Covid-19 cases had recently entered the country from South Africa- which is one of the African countries worst hit by the coronavirus epidemic.

The suspected cases are reported to have shown serious symptoms consistent with respiratory disease. They have since been tested and are awaiting results.

When she was contacted for comment , Masuku could not deny or confirm the development and instead referred the questions to the local authority.

Both the local authority secretary, Susan Dube and chairman Zivanai Nyakuchena professed ignorance over the matter. The publication however understands that the ‘whistleblower’ was suspended for divulging information that she had no authority to speak on.

Sources who spoke to the publication revealed that in mitigation, Masuku, claimed that she sent out the statement because she ‘genuinely’ wanted to warn people to heed Government’s call to stay at home and to adhere to regulations to do with the pandemic.

‘This health officer clearly wanted to help her fellow countrymen and then overlooked the bounds of her work. She must have been moved by the level of complacency among residents over the pandemic and therefore wanted to give them real examples to prickle their conscience.

The statement is powerful in a situation where very little information on patterns and distribution of the pandemic is available,’ said a source.

Below is the statement that Masuku allegedly sent to the WhatsApp group which was obtained by the publication.

‘In Chipinge we are doing six contact cases whose names and addresses were given from our entry points. One is in Medium, one in Gaza and four in low density. Saka lets be on the alert people. Tinogona kunge tinayo Covid 19 muno muChipinge (We may serious have Covid 19 here in Chipinge). Vanhu stay at home ndapota. Dutu parinozopera vamwe vedu vanogona kushaikwa nekusateerera (Please stay at home. We may lose many people here because of this pandemic. Please take heed, don’t lose your life by failing to listen to this message). From EHO Chipinge Town Council.’ said the statement that Masuku sent in the group.-MasvingoMirror