On Saturday, the COVID-19 Presidential Taskforce reported that the country had recorded 381 new COVID-19 cases, 12 deaths and only seven new recoveries in the past 24 hours.
“Today, is another sad day for our country as we have registered 12 people that have died due to COVID-19. This is the highest number ever recorded in our country since the first COVID- 19 cases was recorded,” observed taskforce co chairperson Dr John Phuka.
Nine of the people who lost their lives were from Lilongwe (six were men aged 44, 50, 54, 58, 59 and 70 years and two women aged 66 and 68 years). Two from Blantyre both males aged 57 and 60 years, and an 87 year old female from Mzimba South.
Meanwhile, of the new cases, 327 are locally transmitted infections: 141 from Lilongwe, 132 from Blantyre, 10 from Nkhotakota, seven from Dedza, six each from Mulanje, and Mangochi, five from Phalombe, three each from Balaka, and Chikwawa, two each from Chiradzulu, Kasungu, Mwanza, Nsanje, Ntcheu, and Zomba, and one each from Mzimba South and Neno districts while 54 of the new cases are imported infections.
“As we are still experiencing community transmission of infection in our country, in this state, it is important to regard everyone you meet as a potential carrier of the disease.
“This is why it is important that all people who are infected are identified by testing, isolated, and, depending on the severity of their disease, receive medical care.
Even people confirmed to have COVID-19 but who do not have symptoms should be
isolated to limit their contact with others.
“The choices that we make as individuals, families and communities will make the disease to spread further or to stop spreading,” added Dr Phuka. Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 8,306 cases including 220 deaths. Of these cases, 1,676 are imported infections and 6,630 are locally transmitted.
