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- The Philippines reported 918 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 4,036,277.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the number of active cases dropped to 18,043, while 21 more patients died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the country's death toll to 64,641.
Metro Manila, the capital region with more than 13 million inhabitants, registered 306 new cases.
The Philippines reported its highest single-day COVID-19 count of 39,004 new cases on January 15. The country, with a population of about 110 million, has fully vaccinated more than 73.7 million people.
The Philippines has tested more than 33.66 million people since the viral illness emerged in the country in early 2020. DOH data showed that RT-PCR testing in the Philippines has significantly decreased since the first wave of Omicron in January of this year as people switched to antigen tests. ■
Outbreak at a glance On September 20, 2022, Ugandan health authorities declared an outbreak of Ebola disease, caused by the Sudan virus, following laboratory confirmation of a patient from a village in Madudu sub-county, District from Mubende, central Uganda.
As of September 25, 2022, a cumulative number of 18 confirmed cases and 18 probable cases have been reported in Mubende, Kyegegwa and Kassanda districts, including 23 deaths, of which five were among confirmed cases (CFR among confirmed cases 28%).
This is the first outbreak of Ebola caused by the Sudan virus (SUDV) in Uganda since 2012.
Description of the outbreak On September 20, 2022, Ugandan health authorities declared an outbreak of Ebola caused by the Sudan virus (SUDV).
Sudan (SUDV), after one case was confirmed in a village in Madudu sub-county in Mubende district, central Uganda.
The case was a 24-year-old man who developed a wide range of symptoms on 9/11, including high fever, tonic seizures, vomiting blood and diarrhea, loss of appetite, pain on swallowing, chest pain, dry cough, and bleeding.
In the eyes.
He visited two private clinics successively between 11-13 and 13-15 September with no improvement.
He was subsequently referred to the Regional Referral Hospital (RRH) on September 15 where he was isolated as a suspected case of viral hemorrhagic fever.
He had a blood sample collected on September 17 and sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Kampala, where RT-PCR tests were positive for SUDV on September 19.
On the same day, the patient died.
Preliminary investigation results identified a number of community deaths from an unknown disease in Madudu and Kiruma sub-counties of Mubende district reported in the first two weeks of September.
These deaths are now considered probable Ebola cases caused by SUDV.
As of September 25, 2022, a cumulative number of 36 cases (18 confirmed and 18 probable) have been reported in Mubende (14 confirmed and 18 probable), Kyegegwa (3 confirmed cases), and Kassanda (1 confirmed case) districts.
There have been 23 deaths, of which five were among confirmed cases (CFR among confirmed cases 28%).
Of the total confirmed and suspected cases, 62% are women and 38% are men.
There are currently 13 confirmed cases hospitalized.
The median age of the cases is 26 years (range 1 year to 60 years).
A cumulative number of 223 contacts have been listed.
More here.
The Philippines has detected its first case of monkeypox in a person with a history of overseas travel, officials said Friday.
The announcement comes within a week of the World Health Organization declaring the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.
Philippine officials did not identify the gender of the person, only saying they were 31 years old and tested positive on Thursday after an RT-PCR test.
“The case had prior travel to countries with documented monkeypox cases,” said Beverly Ho, an acting undersecretary for the Department of Health.
“Ten close contacts were recorded, of which three are from the same household.
All have been advised to quarantine and are being monitored by the department.
”
A surge in monkeypox infections has been reported since May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that more than 18,000 cases have now been reported to the organisation from 78 countries, with 70 percent of them in Europe and 25 percent in the Americas.
Five deaths have been reported in the outbreak since May, he said.
The Philippines sought to head off potential panic, saying monkeypox was not like Covid-19.
“This is not like Covid that can be spread by air very easily and could possibly be fatal,” said Trixie Cruz-Angeles, press secretary for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“This is not particularly fatal.
”
Ho said the Philippines was working with the United States to secure monkeypox vaccines.
The introduction of Ag-RDT has greatly contributed to increasing access to testing
ADO-EKITI, Nigeria, September 30, 2021 / APO Group / -“Getting my covid-19 result in under 6 hours and not having to wait for days was a relief. The short turnaround time allowed me to make the appropriate and timely decision to self-isolate, says Oluwatoyosi Eniola, a health worker in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state.
Ms Eniola had experienced all of the symptoms of covid-19 (headache severe enough to disrupt her sleep, nasal congestion and cough) after returning from an official trip out of Ekiti, prompting her to travel to clinic at his workplace for tests. The result was positive.
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait days to receive her test result. Prior to that, the state government, backed by the World Health Organization, had introduced a new Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests (Ag-RDT) diagnostic kit with the goal of improving the ability to test covid-19 in Ekiti State. The Antigen-Based Rapid Diagnostic Test (Ag-RDT) is a new, rapid and easy-to-deploy diagnostic tool (generates a result in 15-30 minutes) and a viable alternative to molecular platforms for confirming cases of COVID-19.
Antigenic RDT has been deployed at the primary health care (PHC) level to improve testing at the community level, bring it closer to the population, improve turnaround time for results, and enable rapid management decisions. Since the start of the pandemic in Nigeria, labs have used real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) reverse transcriptase testing to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease. However, there had been challenges such as accessing the test and the long turnaround time for results.
For example, prior to the deployment of the Antigen RDT test, there were only 27 specimen collection sites in the 16 LGAs in Ekiti State. This posed the challenge of rapid rotation of results, especially at the PFS level, where even symptomatic cases had to wait at least 3-4 days to find out their COVID-19 status.
In addition, some customers have had to travel long distances between their establishments and the few sample collection sites to submit samples for PCR testing, as the only real-time PCR testing facility is located in Ado Ekiti, the capital of the state. On average, it takes a minimum of 3 days to get results depending on the number of samples collected.
Increase in reported cases
The introduction of Ag-RDT has gone a long way in increasing access to tests because they can be used at the point of care and results are published quickly. Nigeria, as of September 19, 2021, has reported 201,630 cases with 2,654 deaths, including 1,688 cases in Ekiti state. But with the introduction of the Ag-RDT test in week 24 (June 2021) Third wave of Covid-19, there has been a steady increase in tests and confirmed cases in the state, representing an increase of 91 , 2% of reported cases. (Statistics from Ekiti Sitrep).
Complementing the government and WHO, Ms Eniola said: “I'm glad the wait time for my result was short. The reduction in waiting time is an encouragement for sick people because they do not have to undergo the torture of waiting to know their status.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Mr. Akinjide Akinleye (mni) praised the improved testing and reduced wait times for patients for results.
"I am satisfied with the response to COVID19 activities at the LGA level, with increased sample collection, early detection of cases, and thank you to WHO for this timely intervention," he said. declared.
The intervention
In order to be able to use Ag-RDT, it is important that the people performing the tests are properly trained. In this regard, WHO, in collaboration with the NCDC, assisted the state government to train 121 PHC laboratory workers and clinicians in the appropriate and safe use of approved Ag-RDTs for the diagnosis of COVID- 19.
WHO also provided logistical support for the activation of sample collection and testing at the PHC level in the 16 LGAs. As a result, Ag RDT test sites have grown from 27 to 147 across the state, with at least one Ag RDT test site in at least seven departments in each of the 16 LGAs.
Highlighting the benefit of decentralizing sample collection and testing sites, WHO Ag. State coordinator Dr Emmanuel Eyitayo said Nigeria battling the ongoing third wave, rapid testing and a turnaround time for results will allow an early decision on patient management, as health workers are better protected, thus facilitating control of the epidemic.
The Acting SC noted that the results of Ag-RDTs are almost as accurate as those of RT-PCR (i.e. over 97% specificity) when performed by appropriately trained health workers. trained.
One of the effective tools for diagnosing COVID-19 cases is the rapid diagnostic antigen test. It is recommended to be adopted at the PHC level for rapid diagnosis and rapid decision-making in the management of COVID-19 cases.
The Ministry of Health activated the national and district emergency management committees to coordinate the response and engage with the community
GENEVA, Switzerland, September 18, 2021/APO Group/ --On 16 September 2021, the Ministry of Health of Guinea declared the end of the Marburg virus disease outbreak in Guéckédou prefecture, Nzérékoré Region. In accordance with WHO recommendations, the declaration was made 42 days after the safe and dignified burial of the only confirmed patient reported in this outbreak. This was the first-ever Marburg virus disease case reported in Guinea.
From 3 August 2021 to the end of outbreak declaration, only one confirmed case was reported. The patient, a man, had onset of symptoms on 25 July. On 1 August he went to a small health facility near his village, with symptoms of fever, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain and gingival hemorrhage. A rapid diagnostic test for malaria returned a negative result, and the patient received ambulatory supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment. Upon returning home, his condition worsened, and he died on 2 August. An alert was subsequently raised by the sub-prefecture public health care facility to the prefectorial department of health in Guéckédou. The investigation team was immediately deployed to the village to conduct an in-depth investigation and collected a post-mortem oral swab sample, which was shipped on the same day to the viral hemorrhagic fever laboratory in Guéckédou city. On 3 August, the sample tested positive for Marburg virus disease by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and negative for Ebola virus disease. The deceased patient was buried safely and with dignity on 4 August, with the support of the national Red Cross.
On 5 August, the National Reference Laboratory in Conakry provided confirmation by real-time PCR of the positive Marburg result, and on 9 August, the Institut Pasteur Dakar in Senegal provided an additional confirmation that the result was positive for Marburg virus disease and negative for Ebola virus disease.
Public health response
The Ministry of Health activated the national and district emergency management committees to coordinate the response and engage with the community. Additionally, the Ministry of Health together with WHO, the United States Centers for Disease Control, the Alliance for International Medical Action, the Red Cross, UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration, and other partners, initiated measures to control the outbreak and prevent further spread including the implementation of contact tracing and active case search in health facilities and at the community level.
During the outbreak, a total of one confirmed case who died, (CFR=100%) and 173 contacts were identified, including 14 high risk contacts based on exposure. Among them, 172 were followed for a period of 21 days, of which none developed symptoms. One high-risk contact was lost to follow up. At the different points of entry in Guéckédou prefecture where passengers were screened, no alerts were generated.
Ongoing activities include:
Capturing and sampling of bats in the localities of Temessadou M´Boké, Baladou Pébal and Koundou to better understand the involvement of bats in the ecology of Marburg viruses; Development of a sero-surveillance protocol in the sub-prefecture of Koundou; Development and implementation of plans to strengthen Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programmes at the national and facility level including establishing and mentoring of IPC focal persons, IPC/hygiene committees, ongoing training of health workers and adequate procurement and distribution of supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE); Implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene measures with partners including in health facilities and communities; Supporting training on community-based surveillance in Guéckédou prefecture; and Risk communication and community mobilization activities in Guéckédou prefecture as a component of a health emergency preparedness and response action plan.WHO risk assessment
Marburg virus disease (MVD) is an epidemic-prone disease associated with high case fatality ratios (CFR 24-90%). In the early course of the disease, clinical diagnosis of MVD is difficult to distinguish from many other tropical febrile illnesses, because of the similarities in the clinical symptoms. Other viral hemorrhagic fevers need to be excluded, particularly Ebola virus disease (EVD), as well as malaria, typhoid fever, leptospirosis, rickettsial infection and plague. MVD is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids and/or tissues of infected persons or wild animals (e.g., monkeys and fruit bats).
Investigations are ongoing to identify the source of the infection. Guinea has previous experience in managing viral hemorrhagic diseases such as EVD and Lassa fever, but this was the first time that MVD was reported. The country has a fragile health care system due to the overburden of disease outbreaks, COVID-19 pandemic, and the recurrent threat of epidemics such as malaria, yellow fever, measles, Lassa fever, EVD, health care-associated infections, high rates of acute malnutrition, cyclical natural disasters such as floods, and socio-political unrest.
Guinea health authorities responded rapidly to the event, and measures were rapidly implemented to control the outbreak. Cross-border population movement and community mixing between Guinea and neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia increased the risk of cross-border spread. Sierra Leone and Liberia health authorities activated contingency plans and started public health measures at the points of entry with Guinea.
The affected village is in a remote forest area located at the border with Sierra Leone, about 9 km from a main international border crossing point between the two countries. The proximity of the affected area to an international border, cross-border movement between the affected district and Sierra Leone, and the potential transmission of the virus between bat colonies and humans posed an increased risk for cross-border spread.
These factors suggested a high risk at the national and regional level, and given that Guéckédou prefecture is well connected to Foya in Liberia, and Kailahun in Sierra Leone, this outbreak required an immediate and coordinated response with support from international partners. The risk associated with the event at the global level was assessed as low.
WHO advice
Human-to-human transmission of Marburg virus is primarily associated with direct contact with blood and/or bodily fluids of infected persons, and Marburg virus transmission associated with the provision of health care has been reported when appropriate infection control measures have not been implemented.
Health care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Marburg virus disease should apply standard and transmission-based IPC precautions to avoid any exposure to blood and/or bodily fluids, as well as unprotected contact with the possibly contaminated environment. IPC precautions include:
Early recognition (screening, triage) and isolation of suspected cases; Appropriate isolation capacity (including infrastructure and human resources); Health care workers’ access to hand hygiene resources (i.e., soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub); Appropriate and accessible PPE for health care workers; Safe infection practices (emphasize on single-use only needles); Procedures and resources for decontamination and sterilization of medical devices; and Appropriate management of infectious waste.IPC assessments of health facilities in affected areas using the IPC Scorecard revealed sub-optimal results highlighting the need for ongoing supportive supervision and mentorship for implementation of IPC in health care settings in addition to implementing IPC minimum requirements to support and strengthen future preparedness for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
Integrated disease surveillance and response activities, including community-based surveillance must continue to be strengthened within all affected health zones.
Raising awareness of the risk factors for Marburg virus disease and the protective measures individuals can take to reduce human exposure to the virus are the key measures to reduce human infections and deaths. Key public health communication messages include:
Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community arising from direct contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids; Avoiding close physical contact with patients who have Marburg virus disease; Any suspected case ill at home should not be managed at home, but immediately transferred to a health facility for treatment and isolation. During this transfer, health care workers should wear appropriate PPE; Regular hand washing should be performed after visiting sick relatives in hospital; and Communities affected by Marburg should make efforts to ensure that the population is well informed, both about the nature of the disease itself to avoid further transmission, community stigmatization, and encourage early presentation to treatment centers and other necessary outbreak containment measures, including safe burial of the dead. People who have died from Marburg should be promptly and safely buried.To reduce the risk of wildlife-to-human transmissions, such as through contact with fruit bats, monkeys, and apes:
Handle wildlife with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing; Cook animal products such as blood and meat thoroughly before consumption and avoid consumption of raw meat; and During work, research activities or tourist visits in mines or caves inhabited by fruit bat colonies, people should wear gloves and other appropriate protective clothing including masks.Further information
Disease Outbreak News – Marburg virus disease in Guinea, published on 9 August 2021 Health topic - Marburg virus disease Ebola and Marburg virus disease epidemics: preparedness, alert, control, and evaluation, interim version 1.2 Field guideline: How to conduct safe and dignified burial of a patient who has died from suspected or confirmed Ebola virus disease Case definition recommendations for Ebola or Marburg virus diseases Marbug haemorrhagic fever - factsheet; Fièvre hémorragique de Marburg - Aide-mémoire. Relevé épidémiologique hebdomadaire, 80 (15), 135 - 138 Organisation mondiale de la Santé. (2014). Définitions de cas recommandées pour la surveillance des maladies à virus Ebola ou Marburg : recommandation provisoire. Organisation mondiale de la Santé Organisation mondiale de la Santé & Bureau international du Travail. (2020). Sécurité et santé au travail durant les crises sanitaires : un manuel pour la protection des personnels de santé et des équipes d’intervention d’urgence
Malawi has recorded 16 new cases of COVID-19, 28 new cases of recovery and no new deaths. Of the new cases, 13 are transmitted locally: six from Blantyre, five from Lilongwe and one each from Chikwawa and Dowa districts, while three cases are imported: two from Salima (from India) and one from Lilongwe (from Brazil). No new deaths were recorded.
Malawi has recorded 34,078 cases including 1,148 deaths (the case fatality rate is 3.37%). Of these cases, 2,160 are imported infections and 31,918 are transmitted locally. Cumulatively, 32,051 cases have now recovered (94.1% cure rate) and 134 have been lost to follow-up. This brings the total number of active cases to 745. There were two new admissions to the treatment units and three cases were released.
A total of 12 active cases are hospitalized: six in Blantyre, four in Lilongwe and one in the districts of Mzimba Nord. During testing, 502 COVID-19 tests were performed. Of these, 75 tests were performed through the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test, while the rest were performed by RT-PCR. Positive cases out of the total result in a positivity rate of 3.2% while a weekly positivity rate (seven-day moving average) is 2.8%. A total of 232,358 tests have been conducted in the country to date. During the COVID-19 vaccination, 296,127 cumulative doses were administered in the country, with 5,783 administered in 24 hours.
Most of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 that are reported daily are transmitted locally, indicating that we still have community transmission of COVID-19 in our country, hence the need to strictly adhere to prevention and containment measures. of COVID-19. Let me remind the public that some of the preventative measures against COVID-19 have multiple benefits. In addition to preventing the spread of COVID-19, they also help reduce the spread of other diseases. For example, washing hands with soap also helps prevent other illnesses such as dysentery and cholera. We should wash our hands frequently with soap as our daily habit with or without COVID-19. Face masks, in addition to reducing the spread of COVID-19, also play an important role in the prevention and control of other infectious respiratory diseases such as the flu.
In order to further reduce the spread of the coronavirus among us, the most important preventive measures we should adhere to are observing physical distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, including wearing a face shield and ensuring adequate ventilation during indoor activities. These measures are essential to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Everyone must continue to take steps to protect themselves and others from the transmission of COVID-19. Additionally, it's important to avoid the `` 3 C '' settings where COVID-19 spreads most easily: crowds, close contact settings, and confined spaces.
Regarding the COVID-19 vaccination, I would like to inform the general public that the vaccination exercise is continuing in all government and CHAM facilities and that we have adequate stocks of vaccine. We have trained more health workers to make sure we have adequate staff at the vaccination sites. I would like to ask all people aged 18 and over to take this opportunity to get vaccinated in order to be protected against serious illnesses, the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19. I appeal especially to those who, by the nature of their profession, interact daily with many people, such as those who work in banks, shops, vendors and those in the transport sector, to come and be vaccinated .
Let me remind everyone to avoid unnecessary travel at this time and if you must adhere to all measures.
No one is safe until everyone is safe. To get vaccinated. Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones. Protect everyone. Call 929 toll free.
Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP
HEALTH MINISTER
CO-CHAIR - PRESIDENTIAL WORKING GROUP
Malawi has recorded five new cases of COVID-19, nine new recoveries and no new deaths. Of the new cases, four are transmitted locally: three from Blantyre and one from Kasungu districts while one is an imported case which has been identified at the Mwanza border and the destination district is Mangochi district. No new deaths were recorded.
In total, Malawi has recorded 34,016 cases including 1,147 deaths (the case fatality rate is 3.37%). Of these cases, 2,139 are imported infections and 31,877 are transmitted locally. A total of 31,908 cases have now recovered (93.8% cure rate) and 134 have been lost to follow-up. This brings the total number of active cases to 827. There were no new admissions to the treatment units while four cases were released. A total of six active cases are hospitalized: four in Blantyre and one each in the districts of Lilongwe and Mzimba Nord. During testing, 337 COVID-19 tests were performed. Of these, 130 tests were performed through the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test, while the rest were performed by RT-PCR. Positive cases out of the total result in a positivity rate of 1.5% while a weekly positivity rate (seven-day moving average) is 2.3%.
A total of 230,514 tests have been carried out in the country to date. As for the COVID-19 vaccination, 276,657 cumulative doses have been administered in the country, with 987 being administered in 24 hours.
While we are seeing a reduced number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our country, let me inform the public that COVID-19 is still spreading across the world and other countries are reportedly struggling with a third pandemic wave with different variants reported. I would like to inform those planning to travel outside the country to take a keen interest in the COVID-19 situation in the destination country and to travel only if essential, otherwise we always encourage the public to avoid non-essential travel. Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. If you must travel, please follow the requirements of the destination country.
Allow me to encourage all included travelers to get vaccinated in order to reduce the risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19. It is important to take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:
No one is safe until everyone is safe. To get vaccinated. Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones. Protect everyone. Call 929 toll free.
Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP
HEALTH MINISTER
CO-CHAIR - PRESIDENTIAL WORKING GROUP
Malawi has recorded eight new cases of COVID-19, 12 new recoveries and one new death. All new cases are transmitted locally: five from Blantyre and three from Lilongwe districts. A new death has been recorded from Blantyre. To the families who have lost their loved one during this pandemic, may you find peace, hope and love during this difficult time. May the souls of the deceased rest in peace.
Malawi has recorded 33,997 cases including 1,146 deaths (the case fatality rate is 3.37%). Of these cases, 2,138 are imported infections and 31,859 are transmitted locally. A total of 31,876 cases have now recovered (93.8% cure rate) and 134 have been lost to follow-up. This brings the total number of active cases to 841. There were two new admissions to the treatment units and two cases were released. Currently, a total of 11 active cases are hospitalized: five each in Blantyre and Lilongwe, and one in Mzimba North districts. During testing, 472 COVID-19 tests were performed. Of these, 231 tests were performed through the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test, while the rest were performed by RT-PCR. Positive cases out of the total result in a positivity rate of 1.7% while a weekly positivity rate (seven-day moving average) is 2.6%. A total of 229,438 tests have been conducted in the country to date. During the COVID-19 vaccination, 270,940 cumulative doses were administered in the country and 3,647 were administered in 24 hours.
In addition to other preventive measures, the COVID-19 vaccine is being administered in the country to reduce the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. Getting the vaccine is one of the steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially those at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19, i.e. elderly people and those with underlying illnesses such as hypertension (BP) and diabetes (sugar disease). I would like to call on people aged 60 and over and people with co-morbidities to seriously consider getting vaccinated, as COVID-19 has been observed to affect older people and people with chronic illness more negatively. pre-existing. The vaccine will help protect these categories of people from COVID-19 or becoming seriously ill if acquired. Currently, the vaccination exercise targets people aged 18 and over.
Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available. Vaccines work with your immune system so your body is ready to fight off the virus if you are exposed, while other preventative measures such as masks, hand washing with soap, and social distancing help reduce your risk. risk of exposure to or spreading the virus. other. When combined, they offer the best protection. Currently we are using the AstraZeneca vaccine and a person to be fully protected is supposed to receive two doses 12 weeks apart from the first dose. date of receipt of second dose. Please note that the vaccination exercise is still ongoing in all government and CHAM facilities and allow me to appeal to those aged 18 and over to take this opportunity to get vaccinated. The public is further informed that we still have adequate stocks of vaccines in the country.
No one is safe until everyone is safe. To get vaccinated. Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones. Protect everyone. Call 929 toll free.
Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP
HEALTH MINISTER
CO-CHAIR - PRESIDENTIAL WORKING GROUP
Malawi has recorded seven new cases of COVID-19, 25 new cases of recovery and no new deaths. All new cases are transmitted locally: five from Lilongwe and two from Mchinji districts. No topical deaths have been recorded.
In total, Malawi has recorded 33,941 cases including 1,138 deaths (the case fatality rate is 3.35%). Of these cases, 2,133 are imported infections and 31,808 are transmitted locally. A total of 31,764 cases have now recovered (93.6% cure rate) and 134 have been lost to follow-up. This brings the total number of active cases to 905. There were four new admissions to the treatment units while no cases were released. A total of 15 active cases are hospitalized: seven in Blantyre, six in Lilongwe and one each in the districts of Mzimba Nord and Kasungu. During testing, 471 COVID-19 tests were performed. Of these, 89 tests were performed through the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test, while the rest were performed by RT-PCR. Positive cases out of the total result in a positivity rate of 1.5% while a weekly positivity rate (seven-day moving average) is 3.6%. A total of 227,166 tests have been conducted in the country to date. During the COVID-19 vaccination, 257,754 cumulative doses were administered in the country, of which 551 were administered.
We must adapt our way of life in order to break the chain of transmission of the virus in our communities. Public transport is one of the ways in which the virus can spread very quickly, especially when preventive measures are not followed. I must point out that the more people interact, the closer the distance (less than a meter) and the longer the interaction lasts, the greater the risk of the spread of COVID-19. The higher the level of community transmission in an area, the higher the risk of catching the COVID-19 virus.
In order to minimize the risk of transmission, it is important that anyone using public transport adheres to the following preventive measures for COVID-19;
- Compulsory wearing of face masks by all persons on board. Masks should completely cover the nose and mouth. People without a mask should not be allowed to board public transport
- Strictly respect the seating capacity in accordance with the directives issued by the
Ministry of transportation
- Avoid touching your mouth and nose with unwashed a.
- Frequent hand washing with soap and water or use of hand sanitizers
- The public transport crew to ensure frequent decontamination of most of the surfaces affected after each trip
- Ensure adequate ventilation - the use of air conditioners is not recommended
No one is safe until everyone is safe. To get vaccinated. Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones. Protect everyone. Call 929 toll free.
Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP
HEALTH MINISTER
CO-CHAIR - PRESIDENTIAL WORKING GROUP
Malawi has recorded 17 new cases of COVID-19, 26 new recoveries and two new deaths. Among the new cases, 15 are transmitted locally: eight from Blantyre, five from Lilongwe and one each from the districts of Mzimba Nord and Zomba while two cases are imported and have been identified at the border of Mwanza; their destination districts are still under investigation. Two new deaths were recorded in 24 hours; one from each of the Balaka and Zomba districts. To the families who have lost their loved one during this pandemic, may you find peace, hope and love during this difficult time. May the souls of the deceased rest in peace.
In total, Malawi has recorded 33,919 cases including 1,136 deaths (the case fatality rate is 3.35%). Of these cases, 2,133 are imported infections and 31,786 are transmitted locally. A total of 31,717 cases have now recovered (93.5% cure rate) and 134 have been lost to follow-up. This brings the total number of active cases to 932. There was one new admission to the treatment units and five cases were released. Currently, a total of 15 active cases are hospitalized: seven each in Blantyre and Lilongwe, and one in Kasungu districts. In tests carried out in 24 hours, 399 COVID-19 tests were performed. Of these, 101 tests were performed through the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test, while the rest were performed by RT-PCR. Positive cases over the total (24 hours) translates to a positivity rate of 4.3% while a weekly positivity rate (seven-day moving average) is 3.9%. A total of 226,302 tests have been carried out in the country to date. During the COVID-19 vaccination, 251,368 cumulative doses were administered in the country, 4,452 having been administered in 24 hours.
As everyone knows that COVID-19 is the disease caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, it is now a global pandemic that has disrupted our daily lives. Protecting yourself from COVID-19 is of crucial importance because for some people it can cause serious illness or death. Getting the vaccine is one of the many things you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available. Vaccines work with the immune system so that the body is ready to fight the virus if it is exposed. Other preventive measures, such as masks, hand washing with soap, and social distancing, help reduce the chances of being exposed to the virus or passing it on to others. When combined, they provide the best protection against the virus.
Currently, we are using the AstraZeneca vaccine. For a person to be fully protected, they are supposed to receive two doses 12 weeks apart from the first dose. Those who received the first dose are encouraged to check the immunization record on the next date to receive the second dose. Please take note that the vaccination exercise is still ongoing in all government and CHAM facilities and allow me to appeal to those aged 18 and over to take this opportunity and get vaccinated . The public is further informed that we still have adequate stocks of unexpired vaccines in the country. No one is safe until everyone is safe. To get vaccinated. Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones. Protect everyone. Call 929 toll free.
Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP
HEALTH MINISTER
CO-CHAIR - PRESIDENTIAL WORKING GROUP
