Malawi on Thursday registered 1,198 new COVID-19 cases, 108 new recoveries and 43 new deaths.
Out of the new deaths recorded, 24 happened on Thursday and include ten from Lilongwe, five from Mzimba North, and one each from Zomba, Dowa, Karonga, Nkhotakota, Thyolo, Mchinji, Balaka, Chikwawa and Chiradzulu.
The other 19 deaths are from Blantyre and occurred on the following dates: five on 13th January 2021, 11 on 14th January 2021, two on 15th January 2021, and one on 16th January 2021.
Of the new cases 1,154 are locally transmitted infections and they include 303 from Lilongwe, 291 from Blantyre, 85 from Zomba, 68 from Mangochi, 45 from Phalombe, 36 from Dowa and 31 from Machinga.
“Today, we have recorded the highest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases within 24 hours at 1,198 and the admissions and discharges are also at a record high at 263 and 54 respectively,” said Chairperson of the Coronavirus Taskforce, John Phuka.
He then hailed all health workers and frontline staff on the good work that they are doing in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in our country. Phuka said health workers have shown high level of dedication and hard work in the management of the COVID-19 patients, contact tracing, testing, risk communication and community engagement and in ensuring that logistics and supplies are available at all levels.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 16,049 cases including 396 deaths (Case Fatality Rate is at 2.5%). Of these cases, 1,909 are imported infections and 14,145 are locally transmitted.
A total of 6,314 cases have now recovered, 134 were lost to follow-up, and 76 are still being investigated to ascertain their outcome. This brings the total number of active cases to 9,129. Of the active cases 263 are currently admitted.
