HEALTH Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya has announced that 15 Members of Parliament have tested COVID-19 positive and are being isolated in various facilities and that 11 members of staff from the National Assembly have also tested positive for COVID-19.
However, the Minister of Health did not name the MPs that tested positive.
Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said that the Members of Parliament have been contacted and isolated, and added that none of the 15 MPs is critically ill.
Speaking in Lusaka today during the routine updates, Dr. Chilufya disclosed that Zambia has recorded 154 new cases of COVID-19 and that the new cases were detected from the 835 tests conducted in the last 24 hours. The cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 3,856.
Dr. Chilufya said two deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours and this includes one of the critical patients at Levy Mwanawasa COVID isolation Center.
The Health Minister said the victim had co-morbidity with hypertension. Dr. Chilufya said the other involved one who died in the community in Lusaka.
Meanwhile, 253 patients have been discharged among people being nursed at the health facilities and on home isolation. This brings the total recovered to 1,941.
Dr. Chilufya further said 16 patients are on oxygen support and that two are in critical condition, while the rest of the patients are in stable condition.
This week, Vice President, Mrs, Inonge Wina and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Patrick Matibini led Members of Parliament and Staff of the National Assembly of Zambia in a mass testing exercise for the Coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19) at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, 22nd July 2020.
Speaking during the mass testing exercise, Her Honour the Vice President, Mrs, Inonge M Wina, MP, said it was imperative for every Member of Parliament (MP) to test and know their COVID-19 status considering that they will be interacting with their families and constituents. She also urged Zambians at large to not be sceptical but test for COVID-19 as it is a life-threatening disease.
And Speaker Matibini also encouraged staff of the National Assembly and MPs to take the test, pointing out that MPs were the apex of political leadership in the country and therefore needed to lead by example.
Speaking at the same event, Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs, Honourable Godfridah Sumaili, MP, praised the National Assembly of Zambia Management for organising such an exercise to enable MP’s and staff get tested quickly, she also thanked the Ministry of Health for reaching out to many Zambians and commended the church for being responsive to COVID-19 and adhering to the health guidelines in protecting their members.
Minister of Health, Honourable Dr Chitalu Chilufya, MP, stated that the advocacy of the mass testing exercise conducted by the National would go a long way in inspiring people to test for covid-19.
He also emphasized the need to invest in testing as it would help to detect cases early and administer therapy for better outcomes. He added that testing for COVID-19 would change the landscape of the pandemic.
Banning international passenger flights and closing the borders to human travel early on would have greatly helped matters.
But people thought such calls were unreasonable. The fact is that covid-19 was imported into Zambia.
Those temperature screening measures at the airport were just a waste time as the virus is mainly spread by asymptotic carriers.
Now the situation is out of control. Zambian lives are at risk.
FAILURE BY THE PF GOVERNMENT
PF and Chilufya , can you tell the nation who these MPs are , so that their familes and the general public can stay away
from these people as required , this creates doubts on the so called Covid and also tell us how many people
die daily without Covid . As this is just the way Bill Gates and his accomplices have planned
and make sure all the so called test kits give this sake results .
Donot kills education and the economy on lies lies and ignorance , as this is plan by the USA , ignore Trump’s talking about China and WHO , as his
American CDC and Businessess are supporting all , so that they justifiy the vacinnes make money , also disturb the food systems and promote Monsantos GMO foods and all , also promote use ICTs where investments are all theirs and then propose new…
JUST THINKING ALOUD WHO ARE THE CONTACTS TO THESE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND HAVE THOSE CONTACTS BEEN CONTACTED AND ISOLATED, LETS SAY IF FOR INSTANCE LUSAMBO IS AMONG THE AFFECTED YET HE JUST HAD A VERY BIG RALLY ON THE COPPERBELT WHERE HE INTERACTED WITH MULTITUDES, ARE THOSE GOING TO BE TRACED OR ARE THEY GOING TO CONTINUE SPREADING THE PFOVID2021, JUST THINKING ALOUD. AND WHAT OF THOSE WHO WERE BODY VIEWING THE COVID19 REMAINS OF OUR LATE HONORABLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT HAVE THEY BEEN TESTED?
Fellow Zambians, please remember that those affected MPs have families.TheY did not choose to get the virus.The pf govt. let them down in the hope of passing bill 10.
If a number of them succumb to the virus ,how many by election are we going to have and at what cost really?
I will never make fun of what is going on in Zambia or any country severely affected by the Coronavirus.
My family ,relatives and friends are in Zambia.
This surge of COVID 19 in Zambia is purely the blame of pf led corrupt government.
When we offered some, we were insulted by that criminal kz.
ok
This will be a great deterant to the excited MPs and ministers who are galvanising for crowd. In fact covid must send a serious warning to such MPs and miniters.
15 fye, and they are all PF.
The chickens have come home to roast…..
– no going to SA now its Levy Mwanawasa hospital and UTH which you did not care to maintain.
– nature has a way of getting rid of evil.
– Some F.OOL called KZ was laughing at Europe saying in Zambia we ok. How many people are being BID which another F.OOL called a president seats watching?
– You were insulting the west saying Zambia is an independent country we do not need your aid, lets see now.
Only F.OOLs die for want of wisdom when the lips of the righteous teach many.
This is good in a way : it will stop Lungu and ministers from campaign tours disguised as “three day working visits”
Don’t understand why this PF fault!
Two main opposition parties were advocating rioting and protests, among youth, thanks to PF, quick action to ban such gatherings, only a few irresponsible youths struck out in Forest areas against covid19 warnings. The govt has acted out in accordance to WHO guidance, even closing Tanzania boarder temporarily. They monitored all entry points. Set rules a d publicised go the masses who we all witnessed had to be whipped to comply by Hon. Lusambo. The current tests at Assembly were necessitated by an 2 MPs dieing in the last week’s. A point to make, even if you text negative in one test, you are not protected from contracting covid19.. You could catch it same day if you are infected by someone. Technically unless you text everyday you are not…
This is now the new normal. Cases were always expected to go up during cold season or winter. Even Europe, where most of you ignorant diasporan have run to, they preparing for a hike during winter. Let us learn to be realistic and objective in our analysis. Don’t come up with lies to fit your narrative in the hope that it will win you the election. Lies don’t win elections, majority vote does. Kz
I was under major autocorrect attack in my post above! Let me try using a soft end instead of my fingers!
I just wanted to point out that even if you TEST negative, you are still in danger of contracting covid19, as soon as you are exposed to it by another person. That’s why testing is almost useless as a protection. It’s obeying rules that gives you a chance.
The govt has given all advice, it’s up to each person to control their chances. We are the best protection of our self. Lose weight, so that you can be able to fight off an infection. Wash hands frequently, mask up and social distance. Be prepared. Trust in God even if you worship at home, He listens.
PF FAULT THERE WERE BANNING OPPOSITION TO CAMPAIGN WHILE PRESIDENT LUNGU WAS CAMPAIGNING WITH BOWMAN LUSAMBO…….WE WILL VOTE YOU OUT….MINISTER OF HEALTH GOING TO COURT WITH CADRES NO MASK WHILE HE IS PREACHING HEALTH GUIDELINES LEADERS NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE AS THEY ARE PUTTING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS LIVES IN DANGER…..
Have you thoroughly tested that utterly lazy moron in State House who loves flying around the country at weekends touring and promoting Bill 10 expecting to be welcomed by area MPs.
I now believe they know and understand the severity of the the disease.
PF must learn a lesson from this disease. No one is immune whether you’re stubborn or rich or pompous or whatever.
PF must go!
@KZ always rushing to talk about elections. People here are being objective about the impact of COVID. There is a lot of hypocrisy in relation to the ‘directives’. Lusambo was on the Copperbelt with hordes of cadres mingling and unabashed about the need for social distancing. Many did not even have masks. Yet, this is the thug who was going round whipping Zambians in Lusaka. There was also initial resistance to adjourn Parliament. On the other hand, Chilufya was blaming kitchen parties and the like for the rise of cases – conveniently forgetting the hordes of cadres that accompanied him to court and disrupted proceedings. No consistent robust direction from this regime.
Every country has it’s up and down in corvid19.So nothing new
That high cases in zambia. Let’s
Learn from West how to handle.
Harold Muna – that’s an impostor with no loyalty to know one or principles…just a silly juvenile playing online from his UK council flat.
They will use this to finish off the gassing practice they started last year. Mwati ni covid?
This is really sad.
Covid 19 has come to reveal the hidden, now for once , there is no more medical tourism to overwhelmed SA n India, those affected must rely on local health institutions . I hope this will open their eyes on how inadequate health delivery is on the local scene. Your time to face reality is at hand.
Local is Lekker, no more medical tourism.
It is impossible to teach PF political machinery anything, covid-19 of 15 MPs testing positive will now make them think.