Masvingo Teachers College has been hit by the deadly omicron Covid-19 variant which have resulted in 157 cases recorded at the learning institution.
This was confirmed by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who is also the Health Minister.
Speaking during a national clean-up campaign at Old Croco Motors in the city he said the Health Ministry had carried out clinical tests for samples taken from the college, and they confirmed the existence of the new variant.
“The new variant which you have been hearing from other countries is here. From the genetic sequencing that we did, the Omicron virus is now in Masvingo at the Teachers College.
Chiwenga also bemoaned complacency by the citizenry in dealing with the virus before urging the public to get vaccinated as a matter of urgency.
“Individuals are complacent to get vaccinated and in promotion of Covid-19 regulations. We have enough vaccines for everyone, and I strongly urge Zimbabweans to get vaccinated because we don’t want to get into the Festive season with tears on our cheeks,” he said.
Masvingo Provincial Minister Ezra Chadzamira also admitted the province was now a hotspot of the new variant which has thrown the whole country into a panic mode.
“Our cases are amongst the highest in the country. Colleges and schools are now becoming hotspots of this new variant,” said Chadzamira.
As of December 2, Masvingo had 341 active cases, 59 recorded new cases and two people had recovered.