Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has warned that Zambia could suffer deaths of up to 1,000 daily by August due to Covid-19 if prevention guidelines are not adhered to.
And Dr. Chilufya says funerals, Kitchen parties, church meetings, and other social gatherings are the main drivers of the pandemic in Zambia.
Speaking in a ministerial statement shortly before Parliament adjourned Sine Die on Tuesday, Dr. Chilufya warned that based on the epidemiological modeling, Zambia’s peak Covid-19 month is August.
He said by August if people do not adhere to strict prevention measures, around 900 to 1,000 Zambians could die every day due to Covid-19.
Dr. Chilufya said the spike in COVID-18 cases and deaths is partly due to the change in the weather and the possibility that the virus could have mutated.
He warned that the health system risks being overridden by the burden of the disease hence the need for everyone to avoid large crowds and wear a mask at all times if going in a public place.
Dr. Chilufya said studies on the pattern of disease spread have shown that in Zambia, the main drivers of the disease are funerals, Kitchen parties, church meetings, and other social gatherings.
The Health Minister revealed that Covid-19 has now spread of 45 districts across the country and deep within the communities.
And Dr. Chilufya has appealed to Members of Parliament to undergo Covid-19 testing following the increase in cases both in the country and at the National Assembly.
Dr. Chilufya said it was unfortunate that out of 156 lawmakers, only six have so far voluntarily undergone testing, adding that this was unacceptable.
He said the Ministry of Health has arranged testing facilities at the parliament building on Wednesday, July 22, and called on all lawmakers to undergo testing.
Two MPs died last Saturday due to COVID-19 and COVID-19 related complications.
Zambia has recorded 60 more COVID-19 cases as at Monday out of 369 tests conducted, bringing the cumulative total to 3,386.
God help us.
Based on what facts? Don’t just be dreaming or cooking up figures.Your average daily testing is just around 500 tests per day.
In South Africa, they are conducting over 30,000 tests per day. The accumulated total death toll from covid-19 so far is 4,400.
The PF and this useless guy have totally mismanaged this pandemic in Zambia
This corrupt minister needs to step aside.
Law makers cannot even adhere to basic things like hand washing! What a disaster! Get tested you bellends! These wank3rs are the super spreaders of COVID-19. They should have closed that brothel called National Assembly motel ages ago.
Lockdown 2?? You need to check Soweto, buses and other markets, doc. Close funerals, Churches, weddings again. Maybe restaurants can go back to take aways again. Gyms, casinos, cinemas to close again??
Its based on modeling which people like you don’t understand. If Chilufya is guilty of corruption, the courts will decide not you.
Why should MP’s get tested at the national assembly premises? What grounds does the minister have to be disappointed?
The WHO organization coronavirus test is a standard test which can be conducted by any lab in Zambia.
The minister has been releasing cooked up covid-19 figures. I’m sure he will announce that many UPND MP’s tested positive to gain some political mileage for the PF.
Step aside and concentrate on your corruption case.
We stood on rooftops screaming days and nights for lockdown and contact tracing adherence to be seriously implemented, who could listen to our cries?
Now that corrupt men in PF government have woken up from stolen mattresses to announce anticipated death rates.
A country full of hatred and everyone who critisizes is labeled enemy number for Edgar Lungu.
These are primitive politicians
PF must go!
BWANA CHILUFYA, WHAT ABOUT COURT SUPPORT GATHERINGS, ARE THOSE IMMUNE TO THE SPREAD???????????????????????????, AND PF CAMPAIGNS??????????????????????/
Why is he shunning from the truth it’s due to caders and pf party officials gathering and mobilizing that is causing a rise in Corona cases coupled with people’s ignorance. The problem is coming from the people that are supposed to be showing exemplary leadership in a time like this. What a shame.
MP’s should get tested for covid-19 in their constituencies and not at the National assembly .
What covid-19 measures has the PF put in place country wide. The corrupt Minister must not think Zambia is Lusaka only.
Step aside and concentrate on your corruption case.
Why leaving out the obvious truth that the spike is also due to PF mobilizing and gathering people to meet party people and president. In a time they are supposed to be showing exemplary leadership they are the one in the forefront breaking rules they impose on others. We have seen videos and pictures of PF party officials gathering people for various reasons. The people who go for such are responsible also due to either negligence or utter ignorance. What a shame to these leaders who only think about themselves and put themselves first before the people.
We need to get bro lusambo back on the case.whipping is the only language some people understand especially the upnd who am told are spreading the virus deliberately because they think it will help them win elections
We need to get bro lusambo back on the case.whipping is the only language some people understand especially the upnd who am told are spreading the virus deliberately because they think it will help them win elections . Kz
THAT 1000 SHOULD INCLUDE YOU SIR. IT SHOULD START WITH YOU AS NUMBER 1
We need to get bro lusambo back on the case.whipping is the only language some people understand especially the upnd who am told are spreading the virus deliberately because they think it will help them win elections. Criminals
We need to get bro lusambo back on the case.whipping is the only language some people understand especially the upnd who am told are spreading the virus deliberately because they think it will help them win elections. Criminals . I am on ground now
Prophet of doom! Psalm 91 will help us!
God bless Zambia!
We told you foools…even mass attending a funeral of a patient who died of Covid-19 again WHO guidelines. People are being brought in dead in hospitals
Look at the folly of the UK based impostor he thinks Bowman will come and save the day
This headline is so bad to say the least. Covid-19 is not the only cause of death in Zambia and health is much more than a negative corona test. Let’s be talking about remedies (e.g. Remdesivir) that can be administered to critical patients and have proved to be successful. Focus on preserving lives and not on fatalities. Preventive measures instead of unleashing phantom figures in the hope of using fear as a deterrent.
Whipping?? Bowman?? Bars are closed and the cases have gone up. Take a walk in town or any mall, market or bus stop and you will realise people have stopped even wearing masks or washing hands or sanitising. Just stricter measures should be adopted, let wearing of masks be compulsory, decongest buses and markets, open bars on take away but shorter operating times, reduce people at funerals, etc not whipping!!
How are you going to test 1000 aday?Can you start Preparing for that
Number.If it happens are you prepared?
Dr Chitalu Chilufya is facing corruption allegations and is actually corrupt – there is no smoke without fire. most of these people from this regions are thieves. Even what is presented by Chilufya concerning covid-19 can not be believed. This is bad for public confidence in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Chitalu Chilufya should be replaced to give him more time to fight corruption allegations. Government has more doctors who are decent to be covid-19 spokesmen than a damned person damaging image of government in the fight against the pandemic.
The chickens are coming home to roost
@KZ your ignorant F.OOL called Lusambo thought he was immune… The lips of the righteous teach many but F.OOLs die for want of wisdom
I stand to disagree with this report going by the current trend. Unless it is 1000 deaths cumulatively. Or 1000 infections per month. Even in that instance, the figure is too high. It is not adding up.
All models are wrong but some can be useful is a common aphorism in Biostatistics. This can be seen in how wrong the Model projections were in the USA..this was also the case in South africa. Money was wasted building large hospitals which lay almost empty during the peak. Make no mistake COVID-19 is dangerous and is killing people. I just warn against taking model projections as gospel truth. However, they work well to make people adhere to social distancing and masks. Lets learn from the errors of the US and successes of Europe and focus on testing and contact tracing and public health messaging.
Is Kaiser normal surely? Anyway, you were given time to repent your evil ways but you didn’t. Time to pack and go up.
Look at Nenah Cherry aka Nine Chale always gullible as usual remember what we told you 3 months ago now you are talking about remedial solutions like some smart kid who has just landed on the planet earth. Next you will be the first ones rushing to get vacancies and be used as lb rats .
Shu Shu Shu – Which Model is Chilufya using? Let him show us the projections of the Model and the variables – there are those of us who can read.
This makes sad reading. Covid 19 is here for a longer time than we anticipate. All we can do is prepare in advance and ban funeral gatherings, parties, weddings etc. Continue with the social distancing and follow hand hygiene practices. No visitors in homes please!!! At the end of the day you can only do so much!!
Thank @Dr.Latissimus Dorsi at comment no.26. Your resoning and advice is correct.
Unfortunately, cadres like @independant are die-hards. Everything has to be about Political Party spin. Of course testing can be done at Parliament, or any where easily accessible by public. In the USA Europe they have drive in centres where people line up for miles in their cars to be tested. This is not about politics, it’s a pandemic. May I point out that Dr Chilufya said ALL, 156, MPs have not tested, that includes UPND, so please UPND cadres stop the infantile allegations about PF being responsible or miss-managing the pandemic. From the start we were told, the rules and contact tracing, isolation was applied. ITS THE RELUCTANCE OF PEOPLE TO OBEY, RILES that had lead to this. AFRICANS are…
ITS THE RELUCTANCE OF PEOPLE TO OBEY, RILES that had lead to this. AFRICANS are difficult and stubborn. Even with HIV/AIDS, the continent represented different infection patterns of married couples rather than single male female swingers as in the West.
Even if the model used is wide, it is up to each individual to respond positively to rules. Mask, social distancing works. Contact tracing, testing, and isolation works, look at New Zealand’s great success.
MPs, by their nature of duty, meet constituents and do a lot of public duty. It’s disappointing to learn they have not been diligent.
It is nice when someone expresses their knowledge, without resorting to political innuendos or insults.
I think the point was that party campaigns, receiving each other on airport tarmacs and going to court with hordes of cadres should also have been on Chilufya’s list of kitchen parties etc. as the major spreaders of the virus. Why did he leave that out and why shouldn’t we question it?
Nkaka – you must be new to this site…I urge you to go to the archives and find out what those same bloggers were posting here
“And Dr. Chilufya says funerals, Kitchen parties, church meetings, and other social gatherings are the main drivers of the pandemic in Zambia.”
Why is he excluding PowerTools, Likili, LG Travellers, Scorpion, etc or the transport sector among main drivers of the pandemic in Zambia?
This is where social dostancing is never observed.
Mwe Bantu can’t you see this is a strategy to postpone elections next year . His statement may look foolish but he knows what is saying..
Regardless of personal opinions on who is and isn’t fudging COVID-19 numbers, the bottom line is that this disease is rampant and tearing its way across the world and unless people use precautions many more will die. It stays in an area until it has infected or tried to infect everyone and then it moves on. Those with compromised immune systems will succumb to the disease. How much simpler can this be put???? Do you really want to wait until you or your loved one gets it to prove that it exists???? For someone who has had it and survived, I am here to tell you that staring death in the face for 6 weeks is not an f…ing joke OK? And if you want to mislead people so that you can be politically enhanced go do that with something more trivial than human lives OK? How about everyone here…
How about everyone here realize that one death one case is one too many and regardless of who is doing what, if we individually followed the safety precautions we would avoid the repetition of millions of lives lost due to stubbornness. We lost lives in the 90s because we refused to wear condoms now here we are again, about to loose lives because we refuse to wear masks!!! How much can Zambia take really?
Let’s reflect on the history. In 1991/92 we had cholera killed thousands of people , Dr FTJ Chiluba did not close the churches, during Dr. L.Mwanawasa we had cholera and he did not close the churches, even the time of Mr. L.B. Banda he did not close the churches. Bowman Lusambo was there ,how many people did he beat ? NIL. Now here comes Corona virus, Bowman is in full gear beating innocent people here and there .churches closed while some BARS and restaurants are operating. Bowman is mobilizing the party with mass gathering, Ba chagwa nabo on the other side with their ministers are busy campaigning around the country and Chitalu Chilufya is blaming the innocent general public, the churches. Bane don’t play with the house of prayer. The only DOCTOR to find the cute for this corona is…
It just shows how careless our lawmakers are. How can they run away from testing. They are putting their loved ones at risk.
Get ventilators in each of the 48 ownerless houses, you don’t want to be caught with your pants down.
Fvcking KV ,you are advoacating whipping people as a means of preventing Covid 19 .Why did Lusambo not go and whip his fellow thugs who went to the courts to Chilufya ? Zambia has gone to the dogs because of people like you and careless Jonathan Mtaware .
If you can’t manage to test more than a 1000 per day, how are we going to record such figures of deaths per day,use your head properly sir
This is heart-breaking. Shall we stop mass court gatherings, campaigns, political meetings just for a little while? God help us.
Kuti uuko ati covid, ata don’t just do things for Money you’re going to be helped u pipo colona virus where?
Do right thing you will find good from anyone
This is the fear that some Pastor referred few days back! What is the basis of 1,000 deaths, Mr Accused Minister? Pf gatherings and campaigns are meanwhile going on…unabated!
And you should stop attracting cadres to court sessions.
KKK
Why is this thief, Chilufya, still walking around free, predicting death for the Zambians? He should’ve been behind bars by now. He’s pretending to be concerned about Zambians when he has contributed to the deplorable condition of our health system by stealing resources from it. Shame on him.
@MUNA DEKHANE ithink you are a tribalistic ***** and you just hate the bemba speaking people for no reason .The hatred instinct for bembas is in your DNA in most of you tonga people. Was Roy mudenda ,abandit that escaped from mukobeko prison in the 70’s a bemba? You know the hatred you have for the bembas will cost your HH not to get to state house.***