Mzuzu registers second Covid-19 patient: Malawi cases rise to 38

There has been a new case of coronavirus in northern city of Mzuzu, bringing the total cases in Malawi to 38, including some recoveries and three deaths, Minister of Health Jappie Mhango has confirmed on Saturday.

Mhango said new case has been confirmed by a laboratory at Mzuzu Central Hospital.

“The new Mzuzu patient is a 35-year-old woman,” said Mhango.

He said the Mzuzu woman had contact with the  Covid-19 deceased person  from Lilongwe.

Mhango further said health workers are tracing all the contacts of this person so that they can be isolated, followed up and tested for COVID-19

In a related development, community of  Habitat and area 1B township in Luwinga has burn to ashes mattresses and beds meant for Covid 19 patients in Mzuzu.

According to one of the protesters Yohane Mkandawire, the community is against the government decision to use the Luwinga technical centre as an isolation site for covid 19 patients.

“This technical centre is very close to the people around and there is no phase to cover it on top of that much has not been done to sensitize the community about this new pandemic we just hear it from the radios, as such we can not allow Covid-19 patients near us,” said Mkandawire.

So far, Lilongwe has registered 23 cases with two deaths while Blantyre has recorded nine cases with one death. Mzuzu has two cases. Chikwawa, Zomba, Nkhotakota, and Karonga have registered one case each, respectively.

On March 12 2020, World Health Organisation declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic.

President Peter Mutharika on March 20 2020 declared a State of Disaster.