By Farai D Hove | The Minister of Agriculture, Perrance Shiri has been hospitalised amid COVID fears after his personal driver collapsed and died from the disease.

Minister Shiri briefly responded to ZimEye late Tuesday evening from his hospital bed.

Zimbabwe has 2,704 confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 36 deaths. The Zimbabwean government since declared the COVID-19 crisis a “national disaster” on Friday, March 27, a move allowing it to commandeer State resources towards fighting COVID-19, to use emergency regulations, and to deploy personnel for the same services.

Emmerson Mnangagwa;s administration began a nationwide lockdown on March 30, which was slightly eased and extended indefinitely on May 16. The measure is intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 and requires public activities to cease and informal markets to close, with exceptions for certain food and fuel vendors as well as health-related facilities. 

It is mandatory for people to wear face masks in public.

Briefly responding to a question, the minister acknowledged he has been hospitalised, before switching off.

It could not be immediately established which hospital is holding him.

ZimEye will continue engagements on Wednesday.