People are still getting admitted for COVID-19 –Ministry of Health

Government has called on the general public not to drop the guard on COVID-19 pandemic as people are still being admitted daily.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Kennedy Malama said in the last 24 hours the country recorded 359 new confirmed COVID-19 cases out of 7,086 tests conducted.

Dr Malama vehemently explained that mortality rate has continued to dwindle with four COVID-19 related deaths being recorded in the last 24 hours.

In a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Dr Malama said Central province recorded a high positivity rate of 78 cases, Copperbelt 44 cases with Western recording the lowest number of 20 cases.

“The distribution of the new cases and within province positivity are as follows: Central 78 (14%), Copperbelt 44 (5%), Eastern 23 (4%), Luapula 39 (8%), Lusaka 20 (1%), Muchinga 21 (8%), Northern 22 (6%), North-western 26 (12%), Southern 66 (5%), and Western 20 (8%). The cumulative number of confirmed cases recorded to date now stands at 204, 337,” he said.

And Dr Malama explained that deaths were reported from Copperbelt, Eastern Muchinga and Southern provinces.

He stated that the cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths recorded to date stands at 3,573 classified as 2,682 COVID-19 deaths and 891 COVID-19 associated deaths.

The Permanent Secretary said 362 patients were discharged, 19 from facilities and 343 from community management bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 198,371.

Dr Malama pointed out that there are currently 2,393 active cases, with 2,213 under community management and 180 admitted to COVID-19 isolation facilities.

“Among those currently admitted, 124 (69%) are on Oxygen therapy and 43 (24%) are in critical condition. As a country we are not only worried with local person to person transmission but also the risk of importing cases some of which may be highly contagious variants,” the statement said in part.

He further said surveillance teams will continue to closely monitor the situation and caution against the tendency of increased non-compliance to COVID-19 guidelines.