The claim that the Zimbabwean government is fully prepared to tackle the coronavirus is a laughable myth. Last year we were told the Zimbabwean government was prepared to deal with grain shortages and look at us today. Despite all this, the Zimbabwean government still won’t screen or quarantine visitors by default.

#PostCabinetMediaBrief Cabinet resolved that all visitors from #COVID19 affected countries should hold valid medical clearance certificates against the virus, which show that they have been examined for symptoms & tested for COVID-19 at a designated Gvt hospital in their country pic.twitter.com/4WbleBi4O9

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) March 3, 2020

Scores of people have died due to the government’s own incompetence and lack of preparedness over the years. People died from cholera, which is basically a medieval affliction, our hospitals lack basic pain drugs like paracetamol. Last year the government allowed over a thousand people to die from a cyclone.

All these events serve to illustrate the point that when the government says its prepared, don’t take their word for it. For all we know there could be scores of people already infected inside Zimbabwe.

Sounds paranoid and unsupported by evidence? You just need to look at developed countries that were better prepared than us. If you had said there were scores of infections in the United States people would have scoffed as the Trump administration touted its screen measures. Now an entire state is running about trying to contain the virus as over 50 cases and counting have been discovered.

By the time someone is admitted in hospital and tests positive scores of people would have contracted the virus. Research from China has shown that people can spread the virus even when they are not showing any symptoms themselves.

When that happens it will be too late for Zimbabwe.