Malawi reports rise in Covid-19: 3 new cases

The number of new  coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in Malawi  ticked up again as  Minister of Heatth Jappie Mhango on Monday confirmed three new virus pandemic cases.

Confirming the development, minister Mhango, who chairs a Special Cabinet Committee on Covid-19, said  among the new cases include a 22 year-old lady who arrived from Dubai on 17 March 2020 and another one in the same compound.

“I am happy to report that since the  last reported death none has occurred again due to Covid- 19. However, today we have recorded 3 new cases of Covid-19,” said the minister.

Mhango further said the three new cases have been confirmed by College of Medicine Laboratory in Blantyre.

He said all the cases including the ones that were registered earlier are clinically stable with mild symptoms while some have no symptoms.

“We are still collecting more details for the third case,” he said.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 infection in Malawi to 16.

He said the 16 confirmed cases are distributed as follows:

• 6 (including 1 death) in Lilongwe
• 8 (including 1 death) in Blantyre
• 1 case in Chikwawa
• 1 case in Nkhotakota

Health officials have also traced 272 contacts of people who have tested positive to Covid-q9 and tested 75 of them.

Meanwhile, Mhango who did not rule out a nationwide lockdown, said government will announce additional tough measures to avoid the spread of Covid-19.

Nyasa Times understands government was considering a far tougher strategy to deal with the coronavirus, starting this week.

Health and Rights Education Programme executive director Maziko Matemba observed that there is  a weak Health Act of 1984  on enforcement as people are carelessly infecting others without observing the self-quarantine of 14 days.

“Some people on quarantine are found moving around as the current fine is just K50. We demand the Executive and Parliament to quickly review and adopt Coronavirus Act as what Kenya has done some weeks ago,” said Matemba.

Mhango said the containment measures will be announced on Tuesday.