Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya has re- emphasised the need for members of the public to take the mask mandate seriously to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 spread.
The Minister has stated that the Country has started noticing an increase in COVID reinfections hence making the mask mandate a clarion call to the nation.
Dr. Chilufya has called on members of the public to put up an act of solidarity with family members, workmates and communities by ensuring that they all mask up.
He has called on everyone to further continue adhering to other public health measures and heighten levels of hygiene.
Dr. Chitalu was speaking in Lusaka yesterday afternoon during the COVID -19 update.
“As we return to normalcy, maintain public health measures. Mask mandate is a clarion call to the nation. We further make a call to all to heighten levels of hygiene in workplaces, business, households and at community level,” he said.
Dr. Chilufya announced that 49 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded out of the 6,157 tests conducted.
He explained that the cases were picked in Lusaka, Kitwe, Chimanad Ndola from healthcare facility, contacts and routine screening.
“Facilities with COVID-19 patients include Levy Mwanawasa Hospital in Lusaka where we have six patients and four patients at Maryberg Kansanshi in North Western Province,” the Minister noted.
Dr. Chilufya added that 33 patients have been discharged from various facilities.
He said cumulatively the country has recorded 16,819 COVID – 19 cases since March this year out of the 289,227 tests conducted with 608 active cases.
And Zambia National Public Health Institute Director Victor Mukonka reiterated the call to adhere to public health measures to avoid a surge of the pandemic.
“Should we relax in adhering to COVID-19 measures, we will have a second surge. Alot of fear is with December, January and February,” he said.
Professor Mukonka indicated that efforts are being made to ensure that orders are protected so that the country do not import cases.
Meanwhile, Association of Markets and Bus Stations have called on members of the public to make sure they mask up as they go to markets and bus stations.
Representative of the Association, Jeffrey Kankoto said the markets and bus stations are making efforts to implement the measures but the challenge is with members of the public.
Surely how can you expect people to take you seriously when you can not even give accurate figures…this thief has got so fat from stealing covid funds that he is now quietly eating …how can you mention cases from March when we are in November other countries are doing 100,000 tests daily you are unashamebly bragging about 200,000 tests from March …what world do you live in Chilufya? Your utterly incompetent boss was more that happy to campaign on his so called working visits every weekend around the country to promote his ticket back to State House Bill 10 at rallies and you want people to take covid seriously.
You are also a moron and a foolish fagot. Whether we do 100,000 tests or 1 000,000 tests or we do no tests at all. It makes no difference.
If people are going to become ill they will go to the hospital and we will see cases rise. But by you just testing anyone and everyone it is only natural that you will see cases rise. But does increase in cases mean everyone is going to die ?
We had 16000 cases how many died ? You are just foolish and it is because of fools like you that South Africa went into lockdown. Had South Africa not tested as much as we did they would not have gone into lockdown and their economy would have survived.
Across Africa the secret to the “successful” fight against “convid” is LOW TESTING rates.
Testing just inflates figures and then morons like…
Very timely advice. We do not want to end up like the countries where the likes of f00lish diasporans like tarino reside.
We have put up a good fight so far even better than America and UK. There they have gone into complete lockdown because they are dying like chickens in a KFC factory. So when you read tarinos demented posts here, please be understanding and consider that he is experiencing the psychological effects of corona virus. Save a life and wear a mask
Chilufya and your useless PF you will be held accountable for the death of many ignorant Zambians as a result of Covid 19, whether first or re-infection. Are you not the same iiddiioottss organizing bigger shows and other events where starving Zambians are swarming for the sake of crmbs falling? How do you expect people to take Covid fight seriously when they can see your hypocrisy? One one hand you are saying observe social distnae nad mask up, on the other you are organizing functions being attended by thousands? Ubu bwena bupuba ubwalekeleshako imwe ba mwankole.
Chilufya and your useless PF you will be held accountable for the death of many ignorant Zambians as a result of Covid 19, whether first or re-infection. Are you not the same iiddiioottss organizing bigger shows and other events where starving Zambians are swarming for the sake of crumbs falling from your thieving table? How do you expect people to take Covid fight seriously when they can see your hypocrisy? One one hand you are saying observe social distance and mask up, on the other you are organizing functions being attended by thousands? Ubu bwena bupuba ubwalekeleshako imwe ba mwankole.
Just forget about the figures because they’re now irrelevant. Change your strategy:
Concentrate testing only where it is necessary: points of entry (Airports, borders etc.) and only those with symptoms. Since infection chains can no longer be traced back, only those at high risk (elderly, people with underlying conditions) should be given priority.
Unlike in the western hemisphere, Africans should know by now that this virus is not their biggest problem. If you don’t believe this, just check mortality statistics of Malaria, HIV, and TB in Africa.
The fight against covid (and many other public health scares) could have been best handled by public health departments of local authorities. Their establishments provide for competencies in environmental and public health work and council police to enforce bye-laws.Ministry of Health have usurped local authorities mandate.They have no town maps,they don’t know street names and house occupation status.We are only lucky the virus does not thrive in hot climes.
How can we take you seriously when you have supplied us with fake condoms? Numbskull
MuZambian – This fat Doctor thief would have never allowed that especially with funds donated for covid…AG report has recorded a lot of irregularities with that fund and no one is doing anything about
Just mask up to spare your own life or risk possible death especially if you have an underlying condition. Just mask up, your families still need you.
@Tarino.I concur.Remember,the first Covid cases in Nakonde were reported by the Muchinga Province minister but he failed to enforce an immediate lockdown. He had to wait for Dr chilifya to travel from Lusaka to Nakonde just to confirm and then declare the lockdown. It was too late.Dr Chilufya came back infected himself and infected hon Dora Siliya in lusaka
@Tarino.I concur.Remember the first virus cases in Nakonde were reported by the Mchinga province minister. He however,failed to declare an immediate lockdown.He had to wait for Dr.Chilufya to travel to Nakomde to confirm and declare a lockdown. It was too late the virus had already spread to other towns.Dr.Chilufya got the virus from Mchinga and brought oy to Lusaka and probably infected him.Dora Siliya
Which second wave naimwe? There is just one wave in Zambia. You can only talk of the second wave if the numbers were brought down to some minimal level. There is no evidence that covid is under control in Zambia. Then you talk of the second wave. Just because the western world is talking about the second wave you also jump into the band wagon. Fyonse ni copy and paste ninshi?