1/6 Zimbabwe currently has one COVID-19 testing centre situated at the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL) situated at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare.

2/6 The NMRL can test up to 400 samples per day using the real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine. The test are conducted using the PCR diagnostic method which has a 100% accuracy rate. The testing process takes about 5 hours.

3/6 As a standard and quality control procedure, the tested samples are also send to South Africa for a second testing.

4/6 In the event that the NMRL testing centre becomes overwhelmed, other samples can be send to Biomedical Research & Training Institute (BRTI), National Virology Reference Laboratory at Parirenyatwa Hospital and African Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Technology (AiBST)

5/6 at Wilkins Hospital. Zimbabwe has the expertise and manpower to test for COVID-19. The country also has 132 Gene Expert Machines in public health institutions which are soon to be used for COVID-19 testing in Provincial and District Hospitals.

6/6 Government has also engaged private institutions to complement in COVID-19 testing.