Thursday’s situation report
* From 10 new cases on Dec. 1 to 475 on Thursday, Dec 16 including one related death
* Enforcement officers may order a gathering to disperse
* They may use reasonable force to cause the gathering to disperse
* 59,040 cases have now recovered bringing total number of active cases to 1,825
By Duncan Mlanjira
The presidential task force on Coronavirus, in collaboration with the Emergency Operation Centre on CoVID-19 (EOC), has now indicated that the country is now in Level 2 of the pandemic following an upsurge of new cases in this month of December.
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On December 1, the country recorded 10 new cases; another 10 the following; a further 13 on December 3; 17 on 4th; 15 on 5th; 16 on 6th and 18 on 7th — all without registering any new related death.
Then the figures started rising to 38 on 8th; 35 on 9th; 59 on 10th and 83 on 11th — still without registering any new related death.
The cases shot up on Monday this week (December 13) to 115 and 235 the following day that included two new CoVID-19 related death, one each in Blantyre and Lilongwe and both not vaccinated.
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On Wednesday, the figure shot to 318 while Thursday registered 475, that included one new related death from Blantyre — who was not vaccinated.
Of the new cases on Thursday, 458 were locally transmitted with the highest from Lilongwe at 205, followed by 130 from Blantyre and 55 from Mzimba North.
Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Malawi has recorded 63,408 cases including 2,311 deaths at case fatality rate of 3.64% and of these cases, 2,759 are imported infections and 60,649 are locally transmitted.
Cumulatively, 59,040 cases have now recovered at the rate of 93.11% while 232 were lost to follow-up — bringing the total number of active cases to 1,825.
There were two new admissions (not vaccinated) and six new discharges in the treatment units and as of Thursday there were 12 active cases that were hospitalised — four from Blantyre, three in Lilongwe, two in Mzimba North, and one each in Zomba and Phalombe districts.
Total number of people fully vaccinated was at 605,045 for both AstraZeneca and the one off Johnson and Johnson and 16 days later, the number has risen by 38,664 to 643,709.
A total of 1,600,509 vaccine doses have been administered so far with 956,800 having had their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine and 359,868 their second whilst 283,841 have received the one off Johnson and Johnson.
Over the past 24 hours of Thursday, 10,109 and 2,913 people have received first dose and second of AstraZeneca vaccine — bringing the cumulatively, 643,709 of those fully vaccinated.
CoVID-19 vaccine alert
Co-chairperson of the presidential task force, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda says the progressive increase of cases observed calls for stepping up the recommended preventive measures “as we are going into the Christmas festive season where different groups gather to share some quality moments”.
The same trend happened last year when cases started increasing that led t a nasty second wave of the pandemic right from January 1, 2021 that claimed lives of many people including prominent Cabinet Ministers — Lingson Belekanyama (Local Government) and Sidik Mia (Transport and Public Works), who was also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Vice-president.
Others included musician Wambali Mkandawire; Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) chairperson, Reverend Patrick Semphere; artist Frank Patani Mwase; renowned radio broadcaster Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma and many others.
Thus Chiponda, who is also Minister of Health, says the presidential task force has revised guidelines for public gatherings, which include:
* All religious, recreational and wedding gatherings should not exceed 100 people indoors, and 250 people outdoors subject to the social distancing requirements of at least one meter between persons;
* For sporting activities, the maximum number of 100 or 250 people indoors and outdoors respectively should include players, officiating personnel, officials of participating teams and spectators whilst observing COVID-19 preventive measures;
* All bars and entertainment centres should close by 10pm;
* Night vigils for funerals are not permitted, and indoor attendance should not exceed ten persons at a time;
* Political party meetings are allowed subject to observing the 100 or 250 people rule whilst indoors or outdoors respectively;
* Mobile markets should be held once a week.
The co-chairperson warns that “where necessary, an enforcement officer may order a gathering to disperse and may use reasonable force to cause the gathering to disperse.”
“May I call upon all Malawians to adhere to the guidelines on public gatherings to reduce and stop the current rapid transmission of the virus within our communities.”
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