The Ministry of Health says the country has continued to report new cases of Covid-19 in almost all the provinces.
Speaking during the routine Covid-19 updates, Ministry Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Dr. Kennedy Malama said the country has also continued to record deaths as the Ministry continues mounting a response to the pandemic.
Dr. Malama observed that the impact of the pandemic has gone beyond the health sector, because effects have been felt across the various sectors of society, including the social-economic disruptions the country has experienced the past five months.
He said the diverse effect, demands a multi-sectorial collaborated and comprehensive response that will reverse both the trend of the outbreak and the negative economic impact the country has experienced.
“Let me re-emphasize that Covid-19 outbreak in Zambia is still active and we must ensure that we apply concerted efforts to make a difference.”
“I therefore take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to our line Ministries, Non-Governmental Organizations, Cooperating partners, the UN system, the Academic, Research institutions, the media and all those who have continued to contribute to the response,” Dr. Malama said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Malama disclosed that Zambia’s Covid-19 cases now stand at 11, 799 after the country recorded 178 new cases in the last 24 hours.
He explained that the new cases which are widely spread across the country are from the 1, 224 tests conducted.
Dr. Malama further revealed that the country has recorded one facility death at Levy Mwanawasa isolation center involving a 46 year old man, bringing the total number of deaths to 283, out of which 92 have been classified as Covid deaths, while 191 are Covid-19 related fatalities.
“The 178 cases are desegregated as follows and they include 9 districts; Lusaka Province; Lusaka district 166 cases, Kafue 1. Muchinga Province; Chinsali 2. Central Province; Itezhi-tezhi 1, Mumbwa 1. Southern Province; Chikankata 4, Livingstone 1, Kalomo 1. Copperbelt had 1 coming from Ndola.”
Dr. Malama further said 105 people have been discharged from various isolation facilities, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 10, 945.
He added that 36 patients are currently admitted to Levy Mwanawasa isolation facility, and 20 of them are on Oxygen, 8 admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while one is critically ill and on a ventilator.
“Outside Lusaka, we have 32 patients admitted to our isolation facilities, with 9 of them on Oxygen. We recorded one facility death at Levy Mwanawasa in a 46 year old male patient who also had underlying Diabetes Myelitis or Sugar disease as people may call it and hypertension. The cumulative number of deaths therefore linked with Covid-19 now stands at 283,” he stated.
And Dr. Malama reaffirmed calls for members of the public to continue protecting themselves and their loved ones by adhering to the five golden rules which include masking up, washing hands with soap, observing social distancing among others.