* Saturday’s positivity rate at 6.5%; Friday at 8.5%; Thursday at 7.4%;
* Wednesday at 7.6%; Tuesday at 8.1%; Monday at 8.1%
* In the past 24 hours, 13 cases were hospitalised; 14 were discharged
* 91 active cases are hospitalised highest in Lilongwe and Blantyre at 20 each
By Duncan Mlanjira
President Lazarus Chakwera promised that the country’s COVID-19 partial lockdown could be lifted if the positivity declines to less that 5% and as of the past 24 hours, it is down to 6.5%.
And from the 1,888 COVID-19 tests that were done the country registered 123 new cases, 241 new recoveries, four new deaths — two from Mulanje and one each from Blantyre and Lilongwe Districts.
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The number of admissions is also declining as only 13 cases were hospitalised while 14 were discharged.
Currently, a total of 91 active cases are hospitalised: 20 in Lilongwe, 20 in Blantyre, nine in Zomba, eight in Mzimba North, 10 in Zomba, seven in Thyolo.
Four each were in Mchinji and Mulanje, three in Salima, two each in Nkhata Bay, Karonga, Chitipa, Ntcheu, and Kasungu, and one each in Mzimba South, Mangochi, Dowa, Rumphi, Chikwawa, and Chiradzulu Districts.
All the 123 new cases are locally transmitted: 32 from Blantyre, 21 from Salima, 20 from Lilongwe, 13 from Zomba, eight from Mzimba North, five from Ntchisi.
There were three each from Dedza, Dowa, Mangochi, and Mzimba South, two each from Balaka, Chikwawa, Mulanje, and Phalombe, and one each from Chiradzulu, Karonga, Nkhata Bay, and Nkhotakota
Districts.
Case fatality rate is has declined to 3.3% as cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 31,798 cases including 1,041 deaths. Of these cases, 2,055 are imported infections and 29,743 are locally transmitted.
Cumulatively, 18,424 cases have now recovered and 134 were lost to follow-up — bringing the total number of active cases to 12,199.
With this downward trend in the positivity rate and a decline in the number of confirmed cases and admissions, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda says this is giving hope to the fight against the pandemic.
In her situation report as co-chairperson of the presidential task force on COVID-19, she indicated that the country is still reporting high numbers of the new confirmed case on daily basis which means there is still community transmission of the disease.
“At this point, we need to sustain the gains made so far and ensure that we supress the transmission even further by strictly adhering to the preventive and containment measures.
“Let me emphasize that the low figures being reported should not make us to relax and stop the practicing the preventive and containment measures.
“In this state where we are experiencing community transmission of the disease, to reduce the new infections there is need to identify and isolate those that have the disease, bring them to care, and the primary contacts of the confirmed cases should be tested and appropriate advise should be given and should be strictly followed.
“In order to prevent contracting the disease there is need for continued practicing of preventive measures wholesomely by everyone of us.
“This calls for enhanced preventive and containment measures that;
1. promote social/physical distancing to keep ourselves and others safe,
2. promote frequent hand washing with soap to keep our hands clean all the time,
3. reduce spreading of the virus by wearing face masks properly and coughing appropriately
4. Seek for care early upon development of symptoms of COVID-19. Call toll free 929.
Coronavirus alert