By Duncan Mlanjira
The three COVID-19 preventive measures of social distancing, washing of hands and wearing of masks were practised by the people of Israel over 3,500 year ago as chronicled in the Holy Bible.
On hand washing, Exodus 30:18-21 says: “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.
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“Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”
Leviticus 13:4,5,46 says “Keep your distance, cover your mouth and avoid all contact” and the same Leviticus 13:4,5 says “Anyone infected was to remain in quarantine from 7 to 14 days.”
In his Tuesday update, co-chairperson of the presidential task force on COVID-19, Dr. John Phuka reiterates on the preventive measures through proper wearing of facemask.
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“I would like to appreciate to those that have taken up the wearing of mask seriously and let me encourage the public to wear a cloth mask always whenever they are going into crowded places.
“Masks are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice.
“This is called source control. Apart from reducing the spread of COVID-19, facemasks play an important role in the prevention and control of other infectious respiratory disease transmission such as influenza.
“We should therefore adopt use of facemask as a way living with or without COVID-19 amidst our respective communities.
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“Compliance with other measures including physical distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and adequate ventilation in indoor settings is essential for reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID19.”
On the use of masks by children, Dr. Phuka says those aged up to five years should not wear masks for source control.
“For children aged 6 to 11 years could wear a mask based on the child’s capacity to comply with the appropriate use of masks and availability of appropriate adult supervision while children aged 12 years and above should wear mask based on the same guidance as adults.
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“As a precautionary measure, irrespective of age children with severe cognitive or respiratory impairments who have difficulties tolerating a mask should not wear masks.”
As of Tuesday evening, Malawi has registered one new COVID-19 case, ten new recoveries and no new deaths — the new case being a locally transmitted infection and is from Lilongwe Health District.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 5,934 cases including 184 deaths and of these cases, 1,170 are imported infections and 4,764 are locally transmitted.
Cumulatively, 5,333 cases have now recovered bringing the total number of active cases to 417.
On testing, 462 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours of Tuesday and cumulatively, 63,505 tests have been conducted in the country so far since April.
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