President Edgar Lungu has confirmed that Zambia has recorded its first two cases of COVID-19 commonly known as Coronavirus.
In a Facebook Post, President Lungu revealed that the patients are a Zambian couple that traveled to France with their two children for 10 days.
“Our surveillance system was able to detect that they transited through high-risk COVID-19 countries. The couple has been isolated and receiving treatment in Chilanga. I want to salute our gallant men and women carrying out surveillance at all points of entry and our hardworking health personnel. I ask all members of the public not to panic. Report any suspected cases or symptoms to the nearest health facility,” President Lungu said.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya also confirmed during a news conference the presence of Coronavirus in Zambia.
“I regret to inform the nation that Zambia has confirmed its first two cases of COVID19. The patients are a Zambian couple of Lusaka; a 37-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man who returned to Lusaka from a 10-day holiday in France aboard an Emirates flight on 15th March 2020. The patients were screened at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and placed under home quarantine as they did not display symptoms at the time of arrival,” Dr. Chilufya said.
“On follow-up, the following day, the man reported feeling unwell and health officials collected samples from the couple for laboratory testing to rule out COVID-19. The couple was placed in isolation while investigations were being conducted,” he said.
Dr Chilufya said the laboratory results have revealed COVID-19 infection in both individuals adding that currently the patients are stable and continue receiving appropriate care at a designated health facility.
“I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the positive response and cooperation from the Zambian public and incoming travelers in adhering to the key measures that have been put in place by the Government to prevent and control COVID-19.”
And Dr Chilufya has thanked the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) for putting off this year’s Kuomboka ceremony.
“The Government appreciates the support from our seasoned cooperating partners who continue to provide technical, financial, logistical and material support to our national preparedness and response efforts to COVID-19. These include but not limited to Africa CDC, World Health Organisation, UNICEF, US Government, British 2 Government, World Bank, Chinese Government, Japanese Government, European Union, and other United Nations Agencies. I now call upon the public to adhere to the measure put in place, particularly the observance of high levels of personal hygiene, environmental cleanliness, and social distancing to prevent transmission of COVID-19.”
He added, “I appeal to the public not to panic as the situation is under control. The public should be weary of false rumors that have been circulating through social media platforms and note that official communication relating to the COVID-19 outbreak shall be issued by the Ministry of Health. I will continue to update the nation regularly as the outbreak evolves including further measures that will be brought into effect. God Bless Zambia.”
So, these guys head there was an outbreak in Europe, and decided this was a good time to go on holiday? Unbelievable
Announcing on Facebook??? What the fvck did we do to deserve these continuous insults?
Problem with Zambians you like to copy a lot. Trump does twitter and you also decide to run your country via facebook.You u cant run a country via social media.
Ba Nostradamus stop smoking!!! The minister was live on TV. Don’t you know that facebook has become now fatser to inform people than the TV?
I would rather take it from Minister of Health. Other politicians see it as an opportunity for political relevance.
God bless Zambia.
The patients are a Zambian couple of Lusaka; a 37-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man who returned to Lusaka from a 10-day holiday in France aboard an Emirates flight on 15th March 2020.
WHY ARE WE NOT TAKING THIS VIRAL DISEASE SERIOUS, SO THEY DECIDED TO DISREGARD THE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES ON NON ESSENTIAL TRAVELLING, GOING TO EUROPE FOR A HOLIDAY AT A TIME LIKE THIS, WHO DOES THAT?
Bo Aristotle, you know that a small fraction of Zambians are elitist show offs. They are probably the kind that read nothing but the Bible and school books. No ambition to further their scope of education or common sense. The kind that treat their house and yard help like trash. I hope they repent and get healthy, prayers for this selfish couple. Put their kids at risk as well. Prayers for all let’s stay safe people.
Thank you your excellency. People please let us not blame this couple. They had every right to travel there. Unfortunately they caught this horrible virus. On a bright note we managed to track them and quarantine the individuals. This shows that our strategy and systems are working. We are working very hard to contain it as much as we can. I understand that people may be feeling anxious and scared but please note that majority of you without underlying medical issues will be able to fight it off. If you are worried please contact the relevant local authorities. I have taken the decision to cancel my trip to Russia on this account. Kz
@Kaizer Zulu. Most of us just love how you are discrediting the President! kikikikikikiki! Please continue entertaining us!
I hope this couples trip to France was not sponsored by HH
really, of all the comments you chose to write that one. typical kind of thinking. let us not bring politics in this serious matter fellas.
This is something that needs us to come together as zambians. Forget political affiliations and focus on how we can help each other and look after each other.
Our country is ill prepared for such a huge task so it will really need a huge collaborative effort.
But we must also be vigilant that we dont allow wrongs to be done while we are focussing on this impending outbreak.
I am particularly thinking of bill 10. We must not be so distracted by corona that we take our eyes off the ball and allow pf to sneak that evil document through the back door.
Excellent measures at ports of entry, yielding results.
Remember Zambia had some home made cholera and Lungu’s GRZ handled it badly .Now this coronavirus will be another debacle of shame.
I hear it’s a white Zambian couple. Sembe banankalilila kwawo kwamene
For Zambia and Africa, the biggest concern or means of transmission for the virus will be CASH MONEY…
Take care people….
KZ , just sit boy grow what are talking about , we actual suspect there are many unreported cases , just because other wise countries have done ,learn to be serious and yes we are watching on Bill 10 we shall not let go at all
HE announced on Facebook??? No further comment.
His friend in RSA Cyril Ramaphosa rushed to the media to calm his citizens when the first cases were reported, our laid back lad Edgar is busy drinking beer and watching Bill 10 proceedings. Zambians when you vote in jokers this is what you get monkeys!!
And yet you are busy discussing useless bill 10 in parliament.
s `
What has happened to other passengers who were on the same flight with the 2, have they been tracked for testing to ensure they are COVID-19 free to stop the spread? If nothing was done to other passengers on the same flight then you guys be ready for the epidemic spread of the virus. You missed it the ship. Chitalu leave that to the officials. You are showing tendencies of dictatorship.
Lungu is very hopeless he is confirming on Facebook instead of appearing on camera to reassure his citizens…I mean why is this chap even President when he can not do the basics???
The expert the minister of health has given press briefing.so what do you want his excellency to tell you that is different from the expert? You want him to come up with fake news for you? I would feel more confident if an expert in that field addressed me. Even trump is having to let experts address many questions . So why waste your time? Grown up you needy so and so
Why do you think Trump is appearing on TV? He is assuring the citizens who put him in that office…next you will say why are you comparing us to Western countries. You are an impostor ..who can not even think of a more creative alias, leave Kz alone…we know you are N3z the Coon who used to post rubbish on LT !
Tarino you seem frustrated and lost. You claim I am n8z and mushota. That is your opinion and I cannot stop you from believing what or who you think I am. However, back to the topic at hand, if you need another man to make you feel assured then you may have daddy issues. The president is working behind the scenes and you cannot expect the same type of engagement the president of USA is giving. The USA has recorded large numbers of cases. Zambia only its first today. This can be relayed by the minister. If the situation becomes worse you would then expect assurance from the president. Just because America does things a certain way does not make it our way. You chose to move abroad and now feel the need to tell us how to run our country? Boy are you nuts ??
Do you know what the Office of the President is? You think Lungu is a boss he is a servant of the people, they pay his salary he has to report to them not work behind the scenes….fooolish chap. You shameless chap you can not even be original you go and choose someone’s name to tarnish online.
Thanx your excellency (or your insufficiency) THE President of the Republic of Facebook for that post.
Lungu is no real leader folks. In countries where there is even half a leader, the nation is addressed directly not through the same social media he condemns.
He does not have the guts to take questions when the country is facing a public health war.
Zambia deserves better.
The president is not the an expert in this field thats why. Let the expert talk to you and when you ask they will answer you. ECL has shown great er leadership skills so far than Trump. Everytime Trump address the people on some issue is not an expert on he messes up. Only to be corrected by the experts later.. As the saying goes ‘ if you buy a dog why should you bark at night..’ He has people under him who can do the Job . Him just gives instruction…
You chaps, you have only told us about the two persons with Covid 19 positive results, where are the other passengers who were on the same plane? Did you release the rest into the community? If some contacts got the infection, haven’t they already spread it into the rest of the community? Do we have a way of tracing all passengers who were on this flight and see if they have developed symptoms or not? There are a lot of unanswered questions which the MOH Minister needs to help us with.
I think if you read the entire Article, you will find the answer to your question!
Quote: “The patients were screened at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and placed under home quarantine as they did not display symptoms at the time of arrival…..On follow-up, the following day, the man reported feeling unwell and health officials collected samples from the couple for laboratory testing to rule out COVID-19. The couple was placed in isolation while investigations were being conducted…”
So, one can conclude from this statement that they (MOH) are indeed tracking individuals flying into the country. Especially those coming from regions with high cases of COVID-19. Now, what we should be asking ourslves is whether it be would prudent at the moment for the Govt to issue orders…
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to quarantine everyone who flies into Zambia until cleared. If that’s the case then you have to ask yourself a series of logical questions. Short of shutting down all border entry points (Land and Air) into Zambia:
1. Are you prepared to have people quarantined even when they are asymptomatic when they arrive at the border or Airport?
2. If so, how big is the emergency budget you are willing to through at such a costly measure?
3. What are the failures of the current preventive and surveillance protocols to precipitate such a draconian move by the Govt?
4. Do current numbers really support moving to measures such as quarantining everybody who arrives in the country from abroad?
5. Is advising people arriving in the country to stay home, atleast past the…
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incubation period for the COVID-19 virus, and the MOH simply making follow-ups serving the intended purpose just fine at the moment?
e.t.c.
These are some of the questions that need to be asked and answered before we start ratcheting up measures unnecessarily. I know we are all scared, but unreasonable fear can make people do irrational things. Even resorting to treating our fellow citizens like outcasts and lepers just because they happen to have traveled abroad recently. Let us all calm down, people in charge of this are not stupid. They probably understand pandemics and how to contain them better than anyone of us. CHILL!!!
So the n.i.g.g.a saw it fit to address us on an important issue through Facebook and his brain washed cadres like Kaizer Zulu are busy clapping. We deserve better, the man must learn to be a responsible father of the nation and not this nonsense. There are so many questions we need answers to on this issue.
This is a country that won’t handle routine cases. Now a crisis? I don’t know how this will pan out.
People Chill out, not everyone ends up in intensive care with this virus. Some people will have it but not show any symptoms. Let’s learn lessons and use this virus to clean up our city. If you think Cholera is a desease for the poor then you have another thing coming with this corona virus. This virus does not care whether you are in state house or in a shanti town, village or villa. Let’s get creative, people should start sawing chitenge face masks, start looking at manufacturing ventilators locally. Tighten up on food security because you will be impacted with new cross border restrictions. GRZ talk to your chinese connections on protective gear for our front line staff including the brave souls at the borders using basic gear for a complex and unknow virus. Let’s try to help…
First of all, its time Government started telling people the truth. MOH is aware that the total number of recorded cases of COVID 19 is not 2 but 5. These are not Zambians as purported but SLOVENIANS. Why they are allowing these *****s to just pop in Zambia anyhow i don’t know. May God save our Mother Zambia. The Good news is that a patient with good immune system has 98% chances of surviving COVID 19 and only 2% of dying. Those with poor immune system are at risk. MOH needs to sensitize and give confidence in people because Zambians are now panicking for fear of loosing lives.
What is important now is to track down everyone they came into contact with immediate from the airport to their house.
Psalm 91:10-11
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
God bless Zambia!
‘Mzambia wa zamani’ ati this will be another devacle of shame… Do you really think that low of our government?? Anyone can tell that the measures being put in place will make sure Zambians are safe. President Edgar Lungu must be commended on the efforts that his government have put in place. He has quickly addressed the nation and circulated the much needed preventive measures for the people of Zambia. This is exemplary leadership.
‘Tarino Orange’ you should show more respect to the head of state, His Excellence The President delegated the announcement to theMinister of Health to announce on Camera… Of course we have freedom of speech but that doesn’t give you the right to call the president a monkey… What goes around also comes around.
Do not mind that silly asylum seeker. He decided on his own accord to move away from Zambia. He now realises that the world there is not as he expected as a second class inferior citizen. He now takes that frustration out on us here in Zambia.
Even calling him a monkey is more respective to primates …Zambian contraband was confiscated in Malaysia have we heard any comment from govt or President its business as usual. You think I would respect a thief…what freedom of speech when ZP is picking kids for defamation!
Emerates, of course! Not surprised. That airbus is so big, too many people on board at anytime cooped up in the closeted cabins. They allow people with coughs on board. Last time I travelled with the airline, I caught the worst cough ever, caught it from a passenger sitting behind me with a hacking cough. I asked the hostess why he had been allowed to travel. Having said that, @FutureZed above, is right. Try Self made face masks. YouTube has many videos with instructions. Put a little filter in there and they are effective. It’s our environment we should all worry about….too much waste and contaminated water hazards.
Very bad
@Patriot Abroad
Face masks are meant for people with symptoms of Corona Virus so they do not spread it to others. This is the expert advice we are getting from medical doctors appearing on CNN, BBC, Aljazeera, and our local news outlets. If you want hand sanitizer and do not want to be unnecessarily exploited by drug stores and chemists, mix methylated spirit with some glycerine, lemon juice and add alcohol to it. It is just as good as what you buy from shops.