The United Nations says the COVID-19 situation in Zambia has continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate since the first reported case on the 18 March 2020.
The outbreak has reached all ten provinces and 48 out of 116 districts have confirmed cases.
Lusaka and Copperbelt remain the epicentre for the outbreak with increased cases in border point towns including Chirundi, Solwezi and Nakonde.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced it will open dedicated health facilities to strengthen case management and respond to the increased cases in Copperbelt and Solwezi districts.
“The number of cases continues to increase with over 10,000 cases as 19 August. The majority of new cases are locally transmitted. Over 80 per cent of deaths reported occurred outside health facilities indicating a higher community transmission and severe cases not seeking treatment from health facilities. Out of the country’s 116 districts, 48 have confirmed COVID-19 cases,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its latest update.
It attributed the spike to poor compliance to prevention measures, such as use of masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing and limited laboratory testing, remain key challenges to the COVID-19 response.
“As of 19 August, Zambia had confirmed 10,218 (vs 4,481 on 29 July, vs 1,632 on 6 July) and 266 deaths (vs139 on 29 July, vs 35 on 6 July). The overall positivity rate of specimens received daily in COVID-19 testing laboratories has reportedly risen from 1.8 per cent to over 25 per cent in one month, calling for a scaling up of testing for early detection of cases in communities to avoid further spreading, according to MoH.”
“Additionally, there is a fourfold increase in the average number of daily reported cases from 52 the week ending 9 July to 248 ending the week of the 9 August. Over 80 per cent of reported COVID-19 deaths happen outside of the health facility indicating a high community transmission rate. MoH reported a worsening of the profile of illnesses and associated increase in the number of patients requiring oxygen and life support in isolation spaces,” it said.
“With the recent increase in cases in the community, the Government of Zambia continued to prioritize and strengthen risk communication and community engagement in adhering to public health mitigation efforts. On the 11 August the Ministry of Home Affairs announced it would deploy police officers to ensure that people are following COVID-19 prevention guidelines.”
“Bars and nightclubs which flout the regulations are emptied by Zambian police. Further, the Zambian Police Service warned that those without masks will be fined or arrested. Travellers arriving in country will be required to produce a negative COVID-19 certificate within the previous 14 days line with MOH guidelines according to the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited.”
“Travellers without the document will not be allowed into the country. On 3 August 2020, the UN in Zambia closed its offices to reinforce mitigation measures against the virus following positive confirmation of COVID-19 among staff. As of 17 August, a total of 10 UN staff and 5 dependents have been confirmed positive for COVID-19.”
It is the PF leaders who are major culprits. They fake being sick of Covid to attract donations which they later give to cadres to sell.
Zambian leadership has been looking for a crisis in this matter for a while the same way it was looking for a crisis in financial matters. Many people told Alexander Chikwanda not to borrow money as if there was no tomorrow. Where are we now?
This clueless government should just look at this woman in the picture and then look themselves in the mirror to see what they have done for their bank accounts equates to people like this woman struggling to feed her kids selling sugar canes,Is this what they called pro poor government ? We have people like that former grave digger showing off that two million Kwacha is nothing for people like Tasila . As if that is not enough , a PF criminal who committed an aggravated offence against the state has been given bail when people like Tukuta are put in custody for 13 solid days .There is need to clean Zambia from the root to the branches we have turned into a failed and corrupt state . We have seen towns with big bodies of water but have never seen tap water for god how long .All systems…
Suddenly its UN who have taken over the Covid reporting in Zambia? Is this in connection to that health Ministry official who announced that Zambia is ready to use its people as guinea pigs for untested & unproven Covid vaccine? Now they have decided to alarm the nation using UN so people can be blinded into submitting themselves. These so called African govts, just for money they will sacrifice their own.
Rubbish!
Ba Onion Mumenso,
Those PF and UPND chitenge face masks could have saved many lives. That PF woman started very well giving away free masks, you all condemned her. Where will Zambians get free masks then?
You see how many voters you have lost, and any recovered person will never ever vote for PF. Fimo muletontonkanyako.
And some one will blame pf. The causes there are clearly stated as due to personal hygiene and poor compliance with regulations. Also that figure of 10000 cases is taken with a pinch of salt. Even if it were to be true that is less than a quarter of deaths in UK and drop in ocean compares to the USA. To the United nations I believe the western world needs your help more. I hear soon inquiries will take place in UK on why they failed lamentably. And these are countrys diasporans run to
The headline contradicts the article, expected accurate figures of confirmed CoV cases on the t mentioned provinces/ Districts, thanks.
What’s with the obsession with bars and nightclubs?? Look, the bar owners association estimates about 3,300 bars in Lusaka alone. So if 100 people visit each bar per day, that’s 330,000 people (remember not everyone goes to bars!). Now Soweto, Kulima Tower bus stop, Freedom way salaula market and all other markets and bus stops will on a daily basis handle not less than 1,500,000 people (remember, everyone including children go to the market and use mini buses!!). Is there a problem with planning, GRZ?? Is the theory that bars are a campaigning platform for opposition true??
Who can find good political leaders? Their price is far above rubies and the citizens safely trust them. They will do the citizen no harm and no evil all the days of their lives. The prudent politician thinks about the future. The good politician considers how to invest in the people and in resources for the rainy day. The good politician is not afraid of the bad economic downturn nor times of famine and drought. The good politician opens his mouth with wisdom and rules with the law of kindness. The citizens praise him as he looks well to the country and increases employment opportunities. In difficult times when nothing can be done, he shares in the sufferings of the citizen by living frugally and casting away all luxuries.
24th March 2020 – News Diggers
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia needs a complete lockdown to halt any new infections of the deadly COVID-19 virus.Speaking during a briefing in Lusaka, Monday, Hichilema called on the government to completely lock down the entire country’s border points for at least a period of 14 days to halt the spread of the deadly pandemic, which has wreaked havoc across the globe.
25th March 2020 – The Mast
NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili has challenged President Edgar Lungu to “come out of hibernation” and address the nation on the deadly COVID-19.Kambwili wondered why the PF government was still allowing aircrafts from high risk areas like China to land in the country.He insisted that aircrafts from high-risk nations such as China, France and Italy,…
…. among others, should not be allowed to land in the country.
FAKING COVID-19 SICKNESS BY POLITICIANS FOR THE SAKE OF MONEY $$$. MONEY IS INDEED THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. THEY ARE READY TO SACRIFICE THEIR OWN PEOPLE FOR MONEY.
Shame that Picture says it all. Our people are suffering. Yet we have these *****s stealing so much.
@Independent , you and Fake KZ are just LUNA..TEEEKS who are obsessed with HH. Now let me HIT YOU and KZ hard. BOTH OF YOU and YOUR FAMILIES combined will never ACHIEVE what HH has in the next 1000 years. Just keep eating with PF. Zambians will deal with you in 2021…..Thanks for Reading this
We’re screwed, covid 19 is not picky , rich PF or poor citizen there is no boundary.
This clueless government should just look at this woman in the picture and then look themselves in the mirror to see if what they have done for their bank accounts equates to what they have done for people like this woman struggling to feed her kids selling sugar canes,Is this what they called pro poor government ? We have people like that former grave digger showing off that two million Kwacha is nothing for people like Tasila . As if that is not enough , a PF criminal who committed an aggravated offence against the state has been given bail when people like Tukuta are put in custody for 13 solid days .There is need to clean Zambia from the root to the branches we have turned into a failed and corrupt state . We have seen towns with big bodies of water but have never seen tap water for…