By Scoop Reporter
FOUR out of 10 Zambian fishermen who were arrested by Zimbabwean authorities and handed over to authorities in Siavonga have fled from the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) quarantine centre and are still at large.
Zimbabwean authorities arrested these illegal fishermen and reportedly conducted COPVID-19 tests and one of them is reported to have tested positive.
When they were handed over to Zambia, the four were retested but bolted before results came out but Siavonga district Commissioner Lovemore Kanyama says he will leave no stone unturned until the four are hunted and apprehended.
“Am confirming that four people on Thursday and Friday escaped from the COVID19 Isolation Centre in Siavonga. We had 10 people Quarantined at the COVID 19 Isolation Centre, four of whom escaped. I am here to assure members of the public that the four suspects will be hunted and once apprehended, they will receive good punishment.
“The system of patients escaping is becoming a bad habit in the district as last year it was a cholera patient who escaped from the hospital. A team of officers from the health department and Siavonga police command must go flat out in searching for the four individuals as they are a danger to the society,” MR. Kanyama said.
“The 10 people were on Monday arrested in Zimbabwe for illegally fishing on the Zimbabwean side of Lake Kariba, they were later tested and one is believed to have tested positive to the Corona virus. The tests were conducted by the Zimbabwean authority, we are yet to receive our own tests results and members of the public will be informed when results are out. For now they are all suspects.
“Siavonga District has no case of corona virus so far. To the residents of Siavonga, let’s ensure that even as we conduct our business, let’s abide to COVID19 guidelines,” he said.
