Malawi has recorded more than 10,000 cases since the Coronavirus pandemic began, and about 3,900 of the cases have been recorded this month.
Malawi ended 2020 having recorded a total of 6,583 but now has a total of 10,494 cases. The death toll has also risen from 189 deaths by December 31 to 285 as of January 14.
Yesterday, Malawi registered 503 new COVID-19 cases, 39 new recoveries, and 10 new deaths. Of the new cases, 502 are locally transmitted infections with 260 from Blantyre, 48 from Lilongwe, 24 from Mzimba South, 20 from Mulanje, 18 each from Neno and Zomba and 14 each from Dowa and Karonga.
Three of the new deaths are from Blantyre, two each from Lilongwe and Rumphi, and one each from Mangochi, Mulanje, and Zomba districts.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 10,494 cases including 285 deaths (Case Fatality Rate is at 2.72%). Of these cases, 1,845 are imported infections and 8,649 are locally transmitted.
A total of 5,903 cases have now recovered, 134 were lost to followup, and 76 are still being investigated to ascertain their outcome. This brings the total number of active cases to 4,096. Of the active cases 135 are admitted: 62 in Blantyre at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, 39 in Lilongwe, seven in Mzimba North, six in Karonga, four in Zomba, three each in Nkhotakota and Dedza, two each in Dowa, Mchinji, Rumphi and Balaka, and one each Thyolo, Chitipa, and Kasungu.
A total 102,473 tests, have been conducted in the country so far.
Chairperson of the Taskforce on Coronavirus John Phuka has since urged people the country to follow preventive measures, saying there might be more undetected cases in the communities.
He said: “We have observed an increase in the positivity rate from the samples being analysed and with the current community transmission, we may have a lot of people in our communities that are infected but they don’t know. This is why it is important that all people who are infected are identified by testing, be isolated, and depending on the severity of their disease, receive medical care. Even people confirmed to have COVID19 but who do not have symptoms should be isolated to limit their contact with others.”
