Zimbabwe’s ministry of health and child care plans to raise US$4.7-million to boost the country’s preparedness and response to Covid-19, the State-owned Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday.

It quoted the deputy director of epidemiology and disease control Dr Andrew Phiri as telling a workshop that the money would be used for surveillance, including contact tracing, rapid response team activation and training at all levels, as well as laboratory readiness and sample collection.

Phiri said other activities in the response strategy would include readiness to detect the coronavirus which has wreaked global havoc since being detected in China last December, as well as infection prevention, control and risk communication and community engagement.

More than 60 nurses and doctors from across the country attended the workshop, aimed at equipping them with skills to treat Covid-19 patients, the Herald reported.

Last week, health minister Obadiah Moyo said Zimbabwe was now able to test for and diagnose the coronavirus at the National Health Laboratory Services after obtaining test kits.

The country had initially relied on its neighbour South Africa to diagnose suspected cases.