Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip receive COVID-19 vaccines as UK records 80,000 coronavirus deaths

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh * Royal officials said they took the rare step of commenting on the monarch’s health to prevent inaccuracies * The UK is the world’s first nation to begin a mass vaccination drive against COVID-19 * The Government is aiming to deliver doses to 15 million people by mid-February AP/Reuters Buckingham Palace officials said in a statement that the 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, received their COVID-19…

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Five new COVID-19 related deaths, 269 new cases registered in past 24hrs

* Of the active cases, 89 are admitted in 11 hospitals * Local transmissions still on the rise as 267 new case are local * Some of the returnees involved in the fracas at Mapanga have been arrested for malicious damage and arson By Duncan Mlanjira The COVID-19 second wave that has hit the country continues to take it toll as in the past 24 hours, 15 related deaths have occurred and 269 new COVID-19 cases have been registered…

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Several recent Malawian returnees from SA suspected to have bolted from Mapanga COVID-19 isolation centre

* The Mapanga Prison Training College property destroyed during rioting on Sunday * Police used teargas to control the unruly returnees after blocking Blantyre-Zomba Road * The public suggests publishing their names to alert their kinsfolk to send them back * As of Saturday, out of the 327 new cases recorded, 54 were imported infections through returnees By Duncan Mlanjira A lot of property is reported to have been destroyed at the recently designated COVID-19 quarantine centre at Mapanga…

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Government pledges to address secondary school capacity inadequacy by expanding classrooms by 1,192

Education for all is the target * To provide almost 60,000 new secondary school spaces by end of 2021 * To build 250 Community Day Secondary Schools by 2023 with US Govt. funding * So far, 16 schools have been completed and are in use with 30 to be completed soon * Long-term objective is for all children to attend a minimum of 12 years of formal schooling By Duncan Mlanjira In order to address the inequalities in the…

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Hot public debate on student selection to public secondary schools

Principal Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa * Exposes inequity of Malawi’s education system * Only 84,497 lerners of 225,387 that passed exams were selected * Vast majority that passed, 140,440 cannot access secondary education * Ministry contends that this is due to lack of adequate secondary school places By Duncan Mlanjira The public is still not satisfied with an explanation that the Ministry of Education saying that the Tonse Government is taking the responsibility to address any inequalities present…

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Guidance on home-based management of persons with asymptomatic and mild COVID-19

*As produced by the Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health in August 2020 Acknowledgement The Ministry of Health has developed this guide on Home-Based management of persons with asymptomatic and mild Covid-19 symptoms as part of Malawi’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic at community level. This guide provides the policy direction towards COVID-19 prevention and control with support from different stakeholders and structures at community level. Therefore, the Government through Ministry of Health is committed to implement…

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First Deputy Speaker Kazombo suggests on closing borders in the wake of nasty COVID-19 second wave

First Deputy Speaker Kazombo * Let’s open more centres for testing everywhere including remote health centres * Let’s have mobile vans deployed in Trading Centres parked with testing kits * More health personnel should be deployed, more drugs be bought By Duncan Mlanjira First Deputy Speaker of Malawi Parliament, Madalitso Kazombo is suggesting that the government should consider closing borders and open more centres for testing everywhere including remote health centres in the wake of the nasty COVID-19 second…

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DPP disassociates itself from the contents of Gelzeder Jeffrey’s statement as speaking for the party

Jeffrey, under attack by her own party * ‘Jeffrey has of late and by her own choice ceased to act on behalf of the Party’ * ‘She has chosen to serve the interests of individuals for reasons best known to her’ * ‘Her position as Secretary General of the Party can only be ascribed to her because of the injunction she obtained’ By Duncan Mlanjira The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has issued a statement disassociating itself from announcements made…

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President Chakwera includes himself as to blame in relaxation of COVID-19 preventive measures

Chakwera met Madonna without wearing masks and did not observe social distance * During the festive season over the last few weeks, many of us relaxed our vigilance against the virus * Many of us are back to the old ways of not wearing masks * Now we are paying the price as COVID-19 pandemic is on the loose again By Duncan Mlanjira In his radio address to the nation on Sunday, President Lazarus Chakwera included himself as one to blame…

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12 COVID-19 related deaths recorded; a record high of 381 new cases

* Brings total number of active cases to 2,067, up from 1,705 on Friday * 80 of the active cases currently admitted in nine hospitals * The highest ever recorded in the first wave was 192 on 11th July, 2020. * Since January 1, the recovered cases had been at just 106 By Duncan Mlanjira The number of new COVID-19 cases and the related deaths are spiraling at an alarming pace as in the past 24 hours, Malawi has…

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