By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo man who tested positive for COVID-19 last week caused a stir at his place of residence at the weekend as he declined to get into an ambulance and be ferried to an isolation centre.

The man, whose identity could not be established, stays at a residential apartment in the city’s Central Business District (CBD).

However, on Sunday it took the Bulawayo City Council Rapid Response Team more than two hours to convince him to place under self-isolation at the Elangeni Government Training Centre. Neighbours and passers-by surrounded the flat as the council employees pleaded with the man to get into the ambulance.

New Zimbabwe.com news crew also witnessed the Rapid Response Team negotiating with the patient to get into the ambulance. He later agreed to be moved into self-isolation and was rushed to the training centre.

Bulawayo currently does not have a well-equipped COVID-19 treatment centre.

Last month, Local Government Minister, July Moyo said all COVID-19 patients in the city will be referred to Wilkins Infection Diseases Hospital in Harare as Thorngrove Hospital in Bulawayo had no capacity to handle coronavirus cases.

Various stakeholders in the city have since joined hands in face lifting the antiquated infrastructure at the hospital.

The City’s Director of Health Services, Edwin Sibanda said the rehabilitation work at the hospital included the repainting of the hospital’s buildings, roof, upgrading dressing rooms for health workers as well as the drilling of a borehole.

The hospital’s mortuary is also being renovated. However, it is unclear when the work will be completed.-StateMedia