According to the latest updates provided by the Ministry of Health last night, Zimbabwe’s confirmed cases of covid-19 has now jumped from 25 to 28. This follows three new cases that are all from Harare. No details were provided with regards to these new cases but eventually details are either provided or they just filter out of their own accord.

Today, a total of 841 tests were done as detailed in table 1 below, giving a total of 4 159 screening and diagnostic tests done to date.

Mash. West- 30
Mat. North – 17
Manicaland – 94
Masvingo – 3
Mash. East – 29
Mash. Central – 113
Mat. South – 102
Midlands – 63
Harare – 158
Bulawayo – 232
TOTALS – 841

So what does “screening and tests” mean?

Yesterday a number of experts threw a query at the Ministry of Health which as far as we are aware is has still not been responded to. In recent updates the Ministry has started providing a daily total number of “diagnostic screening and tests”. The numbers are all lumped together. Before this numbers provided were for tests only.

However, some observed, ever since the government started using the phrase “diagnostic screen and tests” the number of these tests went up significantly compared to when the word tests was used. Does it mean the government is carrying out laboratory tests for everyone or is it screening using other means and then providing a test? In the case that its the later some felt for the sake of transparency the numbers of those screened and those tested should be reported separately.