Zimbabwe has recorded its first positive Covid-19 death from the rural areas sparking fears that the virus has spread beyond towns to rural areas with run down health facilities. 

The patient died at a private hospital in Harare bringing the country’s total deaths to four.

The death, sources have said, was not part of the Ministry of Health positive statistics also raising fears that there could be more undetected positive cases in both urban and rural areas.

Health and Child care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo told state media that contact tracing began on Tuesday night following the death of the patient.

“We are still trying to trace the source of infection for this case, so far we only know that the case came from Mhondoro,” he said.

Zimbabwe extended its 21-day Covid-19 national lockdown with an additional 14 days with the government saying it has not met the standards set by the World Health Organisation to end the lockdown.