Coronavirus: Cases Rise To 28

Six more laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus cases have been recorded in the country, bringing the total number to 28.

Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya confirmed the new statistics at the latest Coronavirus update Saturday afternoon.

He explained that the 6 new cases are in the matrix of the contacts of people that traveled to Pakistan recently and not from any new cases.

Dr. Chilufya disclosed that all the contacts of those that traveled to COVID-19 high-risk countries have all been traced and all surveillance has been heightened to ensure that all contacts are tested and ascertained to be negative before being integrated back into society.

He said so far only Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces have recorded 26 and 2 positive Coronavirus cases respectively.

“We are creating a tree for all contacts and due to an efficient surveillance system, that is the reason why we managed to trace the contacts for the patient in Luanshya and others from Pakistan,” Dr. Chilufya said.

He further said a screening facility has been secured at the Makeni dry port to screen passengers traveling from other countries and said 17 vehicles and 3 ambulances have been provided to improve response.

Dr. Chilufya further said all provincial health centers have been equipped with the capacity to respond to the matter effectively.

And when asked why the government is not declaring a complete lockdown, Dr. Chilufya said the government is trying not to cripple the economy by striking a balance between addressing this public health challenge and ensuring that the economy continues to run within the confines of the safety measures that have been announced so far.

“As the epidemic evolves, new measures will be announced and do not be surprised when the President announces new heightened measures,” Dr. Chilufya said as he emphasized the need to heed to the President’s directive of following all the measures such as social isolation,regular washing of hands among others.

Dr. Chilufya thanked various stakeholders such as the church, business owners among others for their compliance with the safety measures and encouraged that to continue if the epidemic is to be addressed effectively.

So far,597,267 cases have been recorded globally with 27,365 deaths out of which Africa has recorded 4,146 cases with 115 deaths.

Source: Lusaka Times