Blantyre District warned of impending CoVID-19 fourth wave
Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) has issued an alert that following events in other parts of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, especially South Africa and Botswana, Blantyre residents are encouraged to be on high alert for an impending CoVID-19 fourth wave.
Issued by the DHO’s Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Gift Kawalazira today (Friday, November 26), the statement alerts the general public that “from past experience, there is usually a four-week window period from the time South Africa records an increase in numbers of CoVID-19 cases to the time Malawi follows suit with Blantyre being the hardest hit”.
“Blantyre residents are further reminded that the only effective way to protect oneself from CoViD-19 related serious illness or death is to get fully vaccinated against the disease.
“It is for this reason that Blantyre DHO would like to encourage all residents of 18 years and above that are not yet vaccinated to use the four week window period to get themselves vaccinated.”
Dr. Kawalazira stressed that getting fully vaccinated gives people bodies time to build immunity against the CoVID-19 virus before it is too late while encouraging those that are due for their second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine to go for it.
So far, 152,428 Blantyre residents have been vaccinated representing 21.8% of the targeted population of 700,000 people in the district
Kawalazira informs the public that CoVID-19 vaccines are available in all government, CHAM and IHAM facilities in addition to mobile clinic sites while calling on other institutions and private hospitals that wish to participate in mobile vaccination clinics to contact 0888 659 836 or 0999 137 027.
As of the past 24 hours of Thursday, Malawi registered five new CoVID-19 cases, seven new recoveries and no new death, according to the situation report from the presidential taskforce on controlling the disease.
All the new cases are locally transmitted, three from Mzimba North and
two from Lilongwe, giving the country’s CoVID-19 cumulative figure from the outset at 61,872 cases — including 2,304 deaths at case fatality rate of 3.72%).
Of these cases, 2,688 are imported infections and 59,184 are locally transmitted while cumulatively, 58,763 cases have now recovered (at the rate of 95%) with 232 being lost to follow-up — bringing the total number of active cases to 573.
There were no new admission recorded on Thursday and no new discharges in the treatment units with one active case currently hospitalised in Blantyre District.
A total of 1,392,540 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far — with 795,168 receiving their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine and 323,443 their second
A total of 274,129 have received Johnson and Johnson while over the past 24 hours of Thursday, 7,892 and 1,457 people have received first dose and second of AstraZeneca vaccine respectively with 214 has on Johnson and Johnson. Cumulatively, 597,372 people are fully vaccinated.
Chairperson of the presidential task force on CoVID-19, Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, is reiterating that it’s the duty of every Malawian to implore on friends, workmates, relatives to get vaccinated, saying “nothing works so well as getting it personal”.
“Share your own reasons for wanting to get vaccinated and, if you are in a position to, your experience of vaccination. Talk to them about how getting vaccinated against CoVID-19 could offer a path back to normalcy.
“Explain the benefits of vaccination, whether it includes being able to visit family and friends again, return to the office, get children back to school, spend time with classmates or other interactions and activities that can be strained because of CoVID-19, not forgetting reduced number of cases, admissions and deaths in our health facilities and communities.
“No one is safe until everyone else is safe — get gully vaccinated! wear face mask! protect yourself; protect your loved ones; protect everyone.”
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