The country has in the last 24 hours recorded 1,164 new confirmed cases out of 10,678 tests conducted bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases recorded to date to 99,540, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Kennedy Malama has announced.
Dr. Malama expressed concern with the evolution of the country’s epidemiological picture with the number of daily new cases increasing from under 100, 500 to over 1000.
In a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka, Dr. Malama gave a breakdown of the new cases by province which included 99 form Central province, Copperbelt 113, Eastern 114, Luapula 17, Lusaka 488, Muchinga 7, Northern 12, North-western 18, Southern 96 and Western province with 200.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that six new deaths in the last 24 hours were recorded of which three in Lusaka, one Central, one in Northern provinces, while Western province also recorded one death.
Dr. Malama noted that the cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths recorded to date now stands at 1,303 of which 737 were classified as COVID deaths and 566 COVID-19 associated deaths.
The Permanent Secretary added that 522 discharges were made from both the COVID-19 isolation facilities and home management around the country, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 93,036.
Dr. Malama also stated that there are currently 5,201 active cases, of whom 4,986 (96%) are under community management and 215 are admitted in the COVID-19 isolation facilities.
“In the last 24 hours, we saw 50 new admissions. Among those currently under admission, 159 (74%) are on Oxygen therapy and 19 (9%) are in critical condition. Fellow countrymen and women, the number of cases that we have recorded this week alone are indeed worrisome,” Dr. Malama listed.
The Permanent Secretary said government’ focus remains in ensuring the preparedness of the frontline, particularly in terms of increased hospital capacity for the increasing admissions, as well as surge staff capacity and commodities security.
ZANIS reports that Dr Malama also disclosed that the new Lusaka Specialized Hospital was operational adding an extra 160 beds to the response.
“We had projected that the third wave would hit us around this time, learning from what was happening globally and on the continent. We remain committed to ensure that all the pillars in our response continue to be strengthened,” the Permanent secretary indicated.
Following the donation of 100,000 doses of Sinopharm by China, Dr. Malama disclosed that government is in discussions to finalize the arrangements for the transportation and other logistics required to bring the vaccine into the country.
As the fight against COVID-19 continues, the Permanent Secretary assured that the Ministry of Health has not lost sight of other public health threats, particularly Cholera.
He noted that the government has made tremendous progress in vaccinating the cholera hotspots around the country.
“We are currently carrying out the cholera vaccination in the Lukanga swamps and thereafter, we will carry out the vaccination campaign in hotspots in Kapiri-Mposhi and finally Lusaka,” he added.
A total of 15,119 new COVID-19 cases and 275 deaths were recorded in Africa. Of these, 37% of cases and 24% of deaths were from South Africa. Tunisia and Uganda also recorded high numbers of cases, whereas amongst Zambia’s neighbours Namibia, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo have also seen an increase in their numbers.
FAKE NEWS. You won’t stop the will of the people to vote for HH
IT’S BEEN SAID BEFORE THAT THIS COUNTRY IS IN ICU IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED ?? KIKIKI WHILST 90% OF THE COUNTRY NOT WEARING MASKS AND NOT ENCOURAGE TO !!!!
AND STILL THR PRESIDENT DOESN’T COME FORWARD ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING CONSIDERING HE IS THE HEAD OF STATE
HISTORY WILL RECORD THIS FOR SURE
WHY SHOW THIS USELESS CHAP BEING TESTED ???
WHY NOT AN ORDINARY PERSON SO TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD FOR TESTING
LT YOUR CHOICE IS VERY BIAS IN MANY WAYS WAKE UP !!!!!!!!!!
Both government and private schools are still running normally,with this covid whats the government doing about it.
This was predictable with PF govt of lies.
As if showing a picture of some public figure about to have an extra large cotton swab poked through his nose is helpful in any way. Such images only provoke feelings of repulsion and disgust in many people resulting in phobia and reluctancy to go for testing.
Thank you for the update. Covid is real and a threat. What is interesting is that the comments from upnd diasporans above are from people living in countries which still have restrictions and which are yet to decide how to handle new variants. Why should we as Zambian be lax over this virus just because the losing under 5 party want to campaign? Fuseke. Zambia is bigger than one useless political tribal party
FUSEKE K-Z !!!!!!!!!!!!!! PF WILL LOSE THIS ELECTION IF NOT BECAUSE OF THE FAILED ECONOMY THEN THE HANDLING OF COVID 19
SO STOP PUTTING OUT FAKE NEWS
TELL ME WHY PEOPLE ARE PULLING DOWN PF POSTERS IN MOST RURAL AREAS
READ THE SIGNS I D I O T
FUSEKE K-Z >>: PF WILL LOSE THIS ELECTION IF NOT BECAUSE OF THE FAILED ECONOMY THEN THE HANDLING OF COVID 19
SO STOP PUTTING OUT *FA KE* NEWS
TELL ME WHY PEOPLE ARE PULLING DOWN PF P0STERS IN MOST RURAL AREAS
READ THE SIGNS I *D* I* O* T
Show a picture of an honest politician.Not one who is jumping from one party to another.Zambians don’t take him as someone they can follow.That way they will
Not take corvid as that bad
WHY ARE THEY NOT GIVING BREAK DOWN OF CASES BY TOWN OR PROVINCE, ARE THE CASES JUST IN LUSAKA?
This KZ guy is a toxic tribalist ,such a big blind hypocrite too.