Zambia has in the last 24 hours recorded a total of 3,672 new confirmed Covid-19 cases out of the 13,721 tests conducted, reflecting a positivity rate of 27 percent.
During a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Health Minister Sylvia Masebo disclosed that the cases are spread out in all the 10 provinces of the country, with Lusaka Province recording the highest number.
Ms. Masebo further announced that the country has recorded a total of 677 recoveries from both the Covid facilities and home management, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 208,932.
And the country has recorded three new Covid-19 deaths, all from Lusaka and of ages ranging between 35 and 60 years.
Ms. Masebo said currently, there are 16- thousand 3- hundred 9 active cases of Covid-19 under community management and in isolation centres.
She has since announced public health guidelines that should immediately be implemented by the public in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 during the festive period.
Ms Masebo therefore warned that failure to follow the guidelines will result in penalties as stipulated by the law in SI 62 of 2020.
She guided that all public places must provide handwashing and sanitising facilities for their patrons.
Ms Masebo said bars will open from 19:00hrs to 23:00hrs under strict adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines while restaurants will continue to operate normally but also under strict adherence to the guidelines.
She has further reiterated that weddings and funerals should be attended by a maximum of 50 people adding that religious gatherings will be conducted for maximum one and half hours, three times a week and has discouraged sporting events being held indoors.
Ms Masebo said all offices should come up with a rotation plan in order to reduce over-crowding in workplaces and has placed special emphasis on pregnant members of staff to be encouraged to work from home in order to reduce the risk of infection.
Ba fana chizungu;
A ‘Spike’ is always up i.e. a sharp increase of something. You dont add ‘up’ after you use the word ‘spike’. You could use ‘up’ on it’s own though – e.g. covid cases continue to go up…
THIS TELLS AS NOTHING COVID 19 ?? WHAT STRAIN IS HERE ?
DIFFERENT STRAINS HAVE DIFFERENT SYMTOMS
THE NEW OMICROM IS LESS SERVERE
ALSO INFORM US OF CASES IN DIFFERENT PROVENCES
I’ M DISSAPOINTED
This government is very poor almost in everything they are doing, these are record numbers zambia has ever recorded what has changed really that everything is going out of hand.
Another Xmas present from the failed upnd government. During our tenure we managed to contain covid, now look what is happening, all because hh couldn’t sit his balls in one place during a pandemic
The only medicine we have in our hospitals is COVID vaccines. The only condition they talk about is COVID. Sometimes you wonder if thats all they learnt about in medical school.
More people have died of malaria during the same period. Even more so for lack of medication.
We are focussing so much on covid. Sometimes the tongue slips to unconciously and inadvertently call her HONOURABLE DR COVID
Cases are going up everywhere. RSA has given up on contact tracing and placement on quarantine of positive cases. Let life go on while we vaccinate our people. So Kaizer don’t lie to people that you contained it better under PF because UPND would tell you that they have prevented more COVID-19 related deaths than you did.
We need to ramp up vaccination. Let health personnel now visit big organizations, companies, etc and give the vaccine to whoever wants.
@ Sansanya the basic fact is… omicron is not as deadly as delta.
And, if you’ve had covid before, you are vaccinated. If you get re-infected by omicron, you’ve just had a booster shot.
Those who don’t want to vaccinate should simply do an antibody test. If you possess covid antibodies, you are as vaccinated as those who have had a shot.
Guys, if we are dealing with, Omicron it’s a new variant. More infectious than the winter variant we had mid tear delta which was also more deadly, especially for the unvaccinated. We cant compare who did what because we are dealing with two different circumstances. Lets continue to encourage our people to get vaccinated to avoid serious disease progression that would require hospitalization. We could also (like S.Africa) not need quarantines and contact tracing if a good number of us get vaccinated.
Cases of Covid are reportedly very high at the Prisons Training camp in Nyango in Kaoma. WWhat is the Ministry of Health doing about this? And cases are said to be under-reported. Can MoH do something before people die.
LETS HOPE THIS WILL NOT AFFECT OPENING OF SCHOOLS….
There is no compliance in most public places like Markets, Bars, Night Clubs and Bus Stations, For example here in Bwana Mkubwa Ndola, Taxis Drivers are loading 4 passengers at the back sit of a car instead of 3, No face masks and no social distance. Bars are heavily crowded. where are The Health Inspectors, RTSA and the Police to sensitize the People of Katondo Community in Bwana Mkubwa Ndola. If it means engaging ZANIS, let it be so for the sake of protecting of Lives.