In the past 24 hours, Malawi has registered 843 new COVID-19 cases, 225 new recoveries, 22 new deaths. All new cases are locally transmitted: 389 from Blantyre, 68 from Lilongwe, 62 from Nkhata Bay, 38 each from Mchinji and Mzimba North, 32 from Dedza, 31 from Mulanje, 28 from Rumphi, 19 from Kasungu, 17 from Mzimba South, 12 from Karonga, 11 each from Chiradzulu and Dowa, nine each from Salima, Thyolo, and Ntcheu, eight from Phalombe, seven from Zomba, six each from Chikwawa, Chitipa, and Mangochi, five each from Likoma, Neno, and Nkhotakota, four each from Balaka, Nsanje, and Ntchisi and one from Mwanza districts. In the past 24 hours, 22 new COVID-19 deaths have been registered: seven from Lilongwe, four from Zomba, two each from Blantyre, Mzimba South, and Kasungu, and one each from Mchinji, Chitipa, Rumphi, Dedza, and Chiradzulu districts. Our hearts go out to families that have lost loved ones due to COVID-19. May you find peace, hope and love during this difficult times. May the departed souls rest in peace.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 20,830 cases including 540 deaths (Case Fatality Rate is at 2.6%). Of these cases, 1,951 are imported infections and 18,879 are locally transmitted.
Cumulatively, 7.005 cases have now recovered, 134 were lost to follow-up, and 76 are still
being investigated to ascertain their outcome. This brings the total number of active cases to 13,005. In the past 24 hours, 44 cases were admitted while 11 were discharged from the
hospital. Currently, a total of 328 active cases are admitted: 126 in Lilongwe, 95 in Blantyre
at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, 19 in Zomba, 15 in Mzimba North, 12 in Mulanje, eight each in Karonga and Chiradzulu, seven in Kasungu, six in Dowa, four each in Nkhotakota and Salima, three each in Nsanje, Balaka, Dedza, and Chitipa, two each in Mangochi, Thyolo, Mchinji, Neno, Rumphi, Ntcheu, and Chikwawa, and one each in Mzimba South, Machinga, and Likoma districts. On testing, in the past 24 hours, 2,562 COVID-19 tests were conducted,1,617 of the new tests were through SARS-COV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic test while the rest were through RT-PCR translating to a positivity rate of 32.9% and cumulatively, 132,915tests, have been conducted in the country so far.
Today we have surpassed 20,000 on the total of confirmed cases and the recoveries have
surpassed the 7,000 mark while the active cases have surpassed the 13,000 mark. As we are fighting the pandemic, we have noted with regret some fake and misinformation that are being circulated by some misguided individuals on COVID-19 and sadly some are targeting our health workers and frontline staff. Let me point it out here that this is unfortunate events that are coming that we are having an increase in new confirmed cases, admissions and deaths and our health workers and frontline staff are working tirelessly to save lives. What everyone has to know and accept is that we have COVID-19 pandemic in our country and the second wave we are experiencing massive community transmission and that our response pillars are working hard to stop the spread. In order to ensure that the transmission is stopped there is need for all of us to accept the results of the COVID-19 testing and adhere to the advice from the health workers. The denial that is currently being portrayed by some sections of the society will only make the situation worse. We may lose a lot of people who can be saved if we work in unity. It is illegal to threaten healthcare worker or any one in Malawi so law enforcement agencies will follow up on these threats and bring to book all the people that are spreading these threats and misinformation.
As we are observing an increased local transmission in our country, there is need to focus our attention on stopping the community transmission by limiting the human to human
transmission of COVID-19. I would like to ask each one of us to do self -reflection as more
people are getting infected daily. Our lives have been disrupted greatly due to this disease and
the faster will deal with COVID-19 the better. This is the time for us to seriously consider to
re-strategize our day to day lives and only make decisions that help to reduce the spread of
the virus in our midst. We all need to treat everyone that you meet as a potential carrier of the virus and we need to strictly follow all the preventive measures wholesomely. The fight
of COVID-19 requires that everyone must be involved. It is also my appeal to those that been confirmed COVID-19 positive and contacts of the confirmed cases should strictly follow isolation and quarantine rules to stop the further spread of the virus to the family members, work mates and the community at large. The following preventive measures should be our daily routine regardless of status: frequent hand washing with soap, proper wearing of mask, avoiding over- crowded places, practicing cough and sneeze etiquette, staying home if you have flu like symptoms and decontaminating commonly touched surfaces.
Watch your distance! Wash your hands! Wear your mask! Seek for care early upon
development of symptoms of COVID-19. Call toll free 929.
Dr John Phuka
Co-Chairperson – Presidential Taskforce
To read the full piece from Ministry of Health , click here.