Chipata has recorded one confirmed case of Covid-19.
A person who recently travelled from Lusaka to Chipata tested positive to Covid-19.
Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu disclosed that on May 2nd 2020, an alert was received of a person who had travelled from Lusaka to Chipata to attend a funeral in Lompo village and had tested positive for Covid-19.
Mr. Zulu told a media briefing in Chipata that the patient had undergone testing whilst in Lusaka but was not aware of the test results until she was communicated to of her positive status.
He said the patient was informed whilst she was on the bus travelling back from Chipata to Lusaka.
Mr Zulu said the Lusaka Provincial surveillance team was engaged and they managed to track the bus and safely escorted the patient to the Covid-19 treatment centre in Lusaka.
Mr. Zulu says this single positive case has resulted in a total of 88 contacts being followed up within Lompo village of Chipata where the funeral was held.
He revealed that during investigations, it was further established that another person had travelled from Katete to attend the same funeral at Lompo Village and that an additional 19 contacts were traced, bringing the total number of contacts to 107.
Mr. Zulu says all the 107 contacts have had samples collected and transported to the Covid-19 testing laboratories in Lusaka.
He says more samples are still being collected until all contacts are reached.
“Chipata has recorded one confirmed case of Covid-19.”
It is time to stop scaring people needlessly.
Today NYC mayor Mario Cuomo went on tv, stating that 2/3 of new infectees were people who were in their own homes. It’s airborne. Everyone is going to get it no matter what the government does. If they had no lockdown, it would have been history a month ago.
Get it, get over it, be immune. That’s the savest way forward anyway. And stop scaring people about the flu. Protect only those who are actually vulnerable to the flu – the very old, the sick.
Some voice in the wildness has been crying for Lusaka to be on lockdown, but hey what can we do when some politician are proud to call themselves a ” hand to mouth economy”, now because of mungulu traveling adada na amai on that bicycle have been put in arms way.
seriously, the method we are using to tackle convid-19 is not working and cant work for a poor country like ours. The contacts to the confirmed case is in thousands already yet we are counting 107.
Too bad. We need to get to a position where results are given instantly.
Olo lwaanya…! You have just managed to reach her contacts at the funeral; how about her fellow passengers on the bus to and from chipata? Bachilufya what is going on kaanshi mwebantu? This lady shouldn’t have traveled in the first place
@1 MrK on point. People are so dead scared of it, so much fixed on new cases that they completely forget that the majority is immune and will show no symptoms at all. Alarmists, Apocalyptic reporters and prophets of doom all over the place..
You cannot expect to fight the Covid-19 like this when you avail results to alerts after 16 days! Had she known earlier, in fact, had the Health Authorities known about her status within 24 hours, she would have been quarantined! This country!
Cuomo is not mayor but governor
I still feel Covid is just a hoax. If it is real then it is not for Africa,
“Mr Zulu said the Lusaka Provincial surveillance team was engaged and they managed to track the bus and safely escorted the patient to the Covid-19 treatment centre in Lusaka.”
They are just trying to make themselves look like they are on the job ..so what of the other passengers on the bus…how do you know Chipata doesn’t already have the virus. Its not like you have mass tested everyone. Have you tested all the truck drivers using GER or coming in from Malawi.
Is this how you batttle COVID 19 infection. May I know from the public health specialists wo are heading the surveillance teams, What does your protocol say about handling fo Close and Casual contacts in terms of quarantining ? I mean you release them right away into the population even if they don’t hve signs and symptoms? Imwe mwe bantu! Bushilu
There is total confusion right now and if this continues, I see disaster.
This is not a Chipata case, but another Lusaka case that has potentially taken the virus infection to Chipata.
Chabipa sana kuli ba Mbuya. Bane kosenu fye ukusamba iminwe. Mwilaposhyana muminwe mwaumfwa??
Please ensure notu jinga tonse batuchita sanitize.
Chipante pante at work! Government was advised to block international travel but did not hid till the virus landed through France and Pakistan, instead of locking down Lusaka, government started printing campaign materials! Now it’s all over! May God help us the helpless!!
This person travelled to Chipata from Lusaka. How is it a Chipata case? Ba Chipata even you you want to receive massive donations?
Now the health Minister in today’s briefing said there is no case of covid 19 in chipata but the eastern province minister says there is a person who is there who came from lusaka. Which is which? Contradiction after contradiction.
In this case the whole bus load should have been quarantined, driver and all. Even the bus itself should have been given a good rub and sanitized. It’s a shame that there’s a lackadaisical approach to the prevention of the virus.
Hon Makebi, please leave updates to hon Dr Chilufya or else trible UPND will celebrate PF confusion.
Imwe ba LT stop embarrassing us in Chipata. That Bemba man riding a bicycle with his wife is not representative of our city. We drive posh Toyota cars in Chipata
Husband is UPND unfortunately the wife is still appreciating the chitenge from poor focus