The Ministry of Health has expressed worry at the daily increase of confirmed COVID 19 cases being recorded countrywide resulting in overburdening isolation and treatment facilities.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Kennedy Malama says the ministry’s projections have come to pass barely three weeks into the third wave, which is proving to be more virulent compared to the previous two waves.
Dr Malama noted that if the situation continues at this rate unchecked bed spaces will be filled up swiftly.
“With a high case load, our health care workers are getting stretched and like in any other setting this tends to affect the quality of care. As such, it is critical that we address the root cause of the problem. If we do not close the taps of community transmission, the situation will continue to escalate,” the Permanent Secretary explained.
He also mentioned that the Ministry is aware and shares the concerns from parents and educators with regard to some school going pupils testing positive for the virus.
In a statement issued to ZANIS today in Lusaka, Dr Malama however, called on the parents and educators to consider the seven months of schooling that were lost last year which have not yet been recovered.
“Take into consideration that our children lost over 7 months of schooling last year, the time that they are yet to recover and we are closely monitoring the situation to inform decision making. Of course life is always supreme and we will make decisions based on evidence available,” he added.
Dr Malama revealed that 2,065 confirmed cases and 16 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases recorded to date to 107,974 and 1,348 cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths recorded.
“The breakdown of the new cases and positivity by province are as follows: Central 303 (22 percent), Copperbelt 274 (15 percent), Eastern 312 (20 percent), Luapula 45 (8 percent), Lusaka 709 (22 percent), Muchinga 31 (5 percent), Northern 24 (3 percent), North-western 25 (7 percent), Southern 219 (16 percent) and Western 123 (16 percent),” he explained.
“We had 126 new admissions in the last 24 hours. There are currently 10,952 active cases, of whom 10,496 (96 percent) are under community management and 456 (4 percent) are admitted to our COVID-19 isolation facilities. This situation is unprecedented in our country. Among those currently under admission, 334 (73 percent) are on Oxygen therapy and 45 (10 percent) are in critical condition,” Dr Malama added.
The Permanent Secretary has called on the community to adhere to the COVID 19 measures to stop the further spread of the virus adding that complicity and laxity are the biggest enemy at community level.
“The Public Health Act clearly stipulates that in a pandemic situation such as this, no public gatherings should be held without due certification by the local authorities. This applies to weddings, parties, funerals and other such gatherings. The public is therefore urged to adhere to this guidance,” he added.
“We are leaning on the comparative advantage of leaders of congregate settings including markets, bus stops and bus stations, schools, and churches. In addition our Political leaders are once again called upon to ensure that the political gatherings are avoided as they are fertile grounds for COVID 19 transmission,” Dr Malama noted.
He mentioned that more cases are coming from high density areas adding that some of the people who have succumbed to the virus are from these high density areas indicating that COVID 19 is not only for those from low density areas.
Ban all road shows, close schools especially the non examination classes, limit funeral, wedding and kitchen party gatherings, Close bars and suspend licenses of churches which are not adherring to covid pandemic guidelines. Markets and bus stops should be heavily policed by the councils so that the situation is arrested. These measures should be done with immediate effect
Chi hh is spreading covid with his road shows. KoIwe ulya
LUNGU No 1 CAUSE .
HE HAS DONE ZERO TO ENCOURAGE ZAMBIANS TO WEAR MASKS
LETS NOT PRAY FOR THE SEWERAGE COLLECTOR QAND HIS VENOMOUS BLOGS
If he worried why isn’t MOH not buying vaccines for the elderly and those at risk…please stop this nonsense!!
Procure vaccines to reduce the infection rate. Are you waiting for the USA to give you free vaccines? Learn to be independent. When are you going to grow?
Chi Lungu is spreading covid with his campaigns disguised as commissioning of projects.
Koswe ulya.
If MOH is worried why are night clubs market schools still open. Why is convict chishimba allowed to hold a rally yesterday.
Road shows are not static but moving.
ECL wins luo are flying all over the country as building inspectors drawing more then 50 pipo is it not COVID-19.
Shame Kaiser you thought banning rallies blocking ZNBC closing private stations you had fixed HH.
I believed in PF before gold diggers, corrupt Chilufya, expired drugs, inflated road, clinic buildings.
Not anymore.
This time we shall not eat roads, fly over bridges, you wait and see.
By the way Dubai has banned you.
Corrupt govt close bars,school, markets if you are concerned about our lives. Stop building inspectors lungu, wins, luo from flying all over Zambia just shows there is no work for them to do.
No president goes to commission a clinic and money spent on allowances for security, logistics, planes is more then cost of the building
Lusaka times why are you hiding our comments coz we saying the truth against your masters
Mavis go cry over your petition losses. Kwindi iwe. Fcuk off!!!
HH is a curse to this nation, everyone criticizes him and his UPND party. Now, ActionAid Country Director Mrs. Nalucha Ziba has strongly condemned HH and his party cadres for the violence that took place in Mandevu Constituency this Thursday.
I think the numbers will rise in the coming days! This is scary!!! We demand our Law to take serious action against those fools who are responsible for the rising cases of coronavirus.
I pity UPND supporters, they have no love or respect for their families and for this nation. It is disgusting how they still support evil HH.
The third wave has officially come which HH and his team were eagerly waiting for! The motto of their rallies is successful, now he can rest at his home
First HH spread the deadly virus and now his cadres created violence to damage the country’s peace in the name of campaign rallies. UPND is not missing any change in creating destruction in our nation! Pathetic!!
This is good news for HH and his blind followers, they wanted to see the numbers, right? Now, what clarification they will give or simply play the blame game as always???
We knew this would happen as HH called people across Zambia in Lusaka while filing the nominations, he even roamed in the provinces and nowhere the Covid-19 health guidelines were followed.
Wonder why now HH aka #Bally’s mouth is shut when his party cadres have created back to back violence, first in the southern province and now in Lusaka. It seems like he has provoked his goon to destroy the peace of Zambia.
When the ECZ put restrictions on rallies, some fools claimed that no covid cases are there in Zambia, PF did this purposely to ban UPND. Now when numbers are out same people targeting PF for the rising cases. Seriously #Bally supporters are brainless people.
We, the people of Zambia demand a ban on UPND, HH should not allow contesting the election as he is a curse to Zambia. He is responsible for rising corona cases.