THE number of Covid-19 fatalities in Zimbabwe has risen to three after the ninth patient, a 50-year-old Harare man on Wednesday succumbed to the global pandemic at Wilkins Hospital’s ICU.

To date, Zimbabwe has 11 confirmed cases.

The deceased had travelled to the UK and returned home on March 21.

In a statement, the Secretary of Health and Child Care Dr Agnes Mahomva said the deceased had been admitted to Wilkins Hospital after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 with an underlying comorbidity.

“The Ministry however, would like to report that the ninth patient deceased today under admission in the intensive care unit at Wilkins Hospital.

He was a 50 year old male resident of Harare who had travelled to the United Kingdom and returned home in the 21th of March 2020,” she said.

Dr Mahomva said the deceased started exhibiting mild symptoms and alerted the local Covid-19 rapid response team on April 1, which went to assess him at home.

His condition however, deteriorated and the local medical team immediately went to stabilise him.

“On 7 April 2020, he was admitted for critical care and management in ICU at Wilkins Hospital under the care if a specialist physician.

Today, the 8th of April 2020, his condition continued to deteriorate despite management in ICU until he deceased this evening,” said Dr Mahomva.

She said the deceased’s family has since been informed and they are currently working with the family to ensure safe burial of his remains in line with regulations under the Public Health Act.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care through the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory today tested 18 samples and they all tested negative.

Dr Mahomva said the Ministry of Health and Child Care is continuing to be on high alert to the global pandemic, which has so far claimed more than 85 000 lives with more than 1, 4 million people infected globally.

She urged citizens to practice good personal hygiene to prevent the spread of Covid-19.- State media