• UNICEF, with support from Sweden has agreed to support procurement of the new Oxygen Plant.
• The investment towards Covid-19 response will benefit 3 million people on the Copperbelt province.
• UNICEF has also procured 310 Oxygen Cylinders which arrived in the country over the weekend.

Government says United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has agreed to support procurement of the new Oxygen Plant which will benefit 3 million people on the Copperbelt province.
Speaking during the routine Covid-19 updates, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Dr. Kenned Malama said the Oxygen plant will be located at Kitwe Teaching Hospital, describing the strategic investment towards the Covid-19 response as a sign of confidence in the government’s fight against the pandemic.
Dr. Malama disclosed that UNICEF has also procured 310 Oxygen Cylinders which arrived in the country over the weekend, coupled with 3,000 interagency health centre kits with support from Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom, while 1,700 kits are in the pipeline.
Dr. Malama stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) is also in the process of procuring personal protective equipment (PPEs) worth 1.5 million United States dollars towards the Covid-19 response.
“This morning the Ministry of Health held a successful meeting with the United Nations agencies, UNICEF and WHO.”
“As a sign of confidence in the government’s Covid-19 response strategy, UNICEF, with support from Sweden and other donors, has agreed to support the procurement of the new Oxygen Plant for the Copperbelt province which will be located at Kitwe Teaching Hospital. This strategic investment towards the Covid-19 response will benefit 3 million people on the Copperbelt province,” Dr. Malama revealed.
And Dr. Malama disclosed that the Ministry has started to gradually scale down on the number of frontline health workers stationed in COVID-19 isolation centres, following the continued reduction in test positivity and hospital admissions.
He explained that the move will give the health workers that have fought on the frontlines some much needed relief and allow the Ministry to strengthen health service delivery with regard to other disease burdens.
Dr. Malama however stated that the Ministry projects a possible third wave of Covid- 19 as the country approaches the cold season.
“As we head into the cold season with the imminent threat of a third wave, we implore you all not to tire in your efforts. We must sustain community adherence and continue to enhance behavior change if we are to avert a third wave,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Dr. Malama said the country has recorded 244 new cases out of 6,248 tests conducted, with 3 deaths in the last 24 hours, representing 4% positivity rate.
He added that this brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases recorded to date to 86,779, while the death toll now stands at 1, 185.
“The new cases broken down by province are as follows: 49 Eastern, 46 North-western, 40 Lusaka, 34 Copperbelt, 29 Luapula, 27 Northern, 7 Central, 7 Southern, 4 Muchinga, and 1 Western. Of the 244 positive samples, 187 were collected within the last 24-72 hours whereas 57 were older than 72 hours. The province with the highest positivity rate was Eastern at 11% while Southern 1% and Western 0.2% had the lowest positivity.”
“The cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths recorded now stands at 1,185, classified as 654 COVID deaths and 531 COVID-19 associated deaths. A combined 159 discharges were recorded from both the COVID-19 isolation facilities and home management, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 83,478, 96% recovery rate.”
The Health PS further said the country currently has 2,116 active cases, out of whom 2,000 are under community management and 116 are admitted to COVID-19 isolation facilities, and that among those admitted, 83 are on Oxygen therapy and 25 are in critical condition.