Covid-19 cases rise to 101 as Malawi health activists demand institutional quarantine

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic cases continue to rise steadily as Health minister Jappie Mhango said 18 more cases have been recorded, bringing the number of cases to 101 since the first three cases were recorded on April 2 2020.

Mhango said 15 of the cases involve returned from Zimbabwe, who came into the country through Mwanza Border Post on May 24.

He said the other two cases include a man, 26 from Mwakyusa Village under Tradiitonal Authority (T/A) Mwakaboko in Karonga who frequently travels to Tanzania and spends time at Songwe Border Post and another man, 34, from group village head Chapinga, T/A Mlolo in Nsanje, who returned from South Africa on May 14 through Mwanza Border Post.

Mhango said all those testing positive of coronavirus will now be in forced institutional quarantine centres in their respective districts.

A health activist Maziko Matemba said there is need for government to force every coronavirus patient into an institutional quarantine to ensure that the disease does not spread any further.

Of the 101 cases, 52 are imported mainly from Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa, with 45 cases being registered through local transmission.