The Ministry of Health says people who will develop coronavirus symptoms while under self-quarantine in Malawi will be moved to an institutional isolation facility.
The ministry has said this in a statement today but has not identified the isolation facility or mentioned whether it is already available.
In the statement, the ministry has listed 19 countries whose travellers will undergo self-quarantine upon arrival in Malawi.
The countries are Iran, Italy, China, United States, Republic of Korea, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Austria, Japan, Finland and Greece.
“The travelers will be followed up by a surveillance team for 14 days, in the event they develop any signs or symptoms they will be moved to an institutional isolation facility for treatment, otherwise they will be released from quarantine on the 14th day of assessment,” says the statement.
Meanwhile, Inkosi ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V has asked the governemnt to ban mass gatherings in Malawi and restrict travel to and from countries affected by the coronavirus.
More than 4,600 people have died and more than 126,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded globally.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, dry cough and headache.
In South Africa where there are hundreds of Malawians, 61 cases have been confirmed and the government has since banned gatherings of more than 100 people.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has also ordered the closure of schools and has imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals from affected countries.
