By Cathy Maulidi & Innocent Kalikokha
Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has urged the general public not to panic following the resurfacing of Covid in the country.
Kandodo Chiponda has, in a statement, confirmed that Covid cases have been registered in Nsanje District, but says no admission or death has been registered.
“[In] the recent (first two weeks of January 2024) there have been the six Covid cases that were reported from one health facility in Nsanje District (Kalemba Community Hospital). Three of these recently-registered Covid cases were among members of the same family, the fourth was a work contact of the first case while the other two were from the surrounding community. Currently, the country has no case admitted and there has been no death reported.
“Therefore, there is no cause for alarm,” she says.
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The minister has, however, asked people to follow Covid preventive measures and take the registered cases as an indication that Covid still exists in the country and even beyond the country’s borders.
“Therefore, recommended preventive measures, including frequent washing of hands and use of sanitisers, avoiding crowded places and use of facemasks, should be exercised as necessary.
“Covid vaccination remains a primary preventive measure and the public is called upon to seek and receive the vaccine for free at all public and Cham health facilities at their earliest opportunity. Those who received their first set of vaccines over eight months previously should visit nearest health facilities to receive their booster doses,” Kandodo Chiponda says.
The minister adds that the country has enough doses of J & J vaccines for all that need them.
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On Monday, the Nsanje District Health Office indicated that it had intensified efforts to contain the further spread of Covid after seven people tested positive recently.
The district’s health promotions officer George Mbotwa said out of the confirmed cases, two were for health personnel.
Mbotwa said six cases were registered at Kalemba Community Hospital, with Nsanje District Hospital reporting one case.
“It is, indeed, true that we, as a district, have in the past few days confirmed some cases of Covid, which are totalling seven as we speak.
“After observing that they were presenting signs that are similar to those of Covid, we thought of conducting several tests on these people and that is when we recorded these cases,” he said.
Mbotwa said those that tested positive for coronavirus are not in critical condition, such that they have been treated as out-patients.
“We have advised them to follow all Covid preventive measures to avoid infecting others with the disease,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malawi Health Equity Network Executive Director George Jobe has urged people to get inoculated.
“We should not go back to the days when we registered unprecedented Covid cases and deaths. Our expectation is that there will be awareness campaigns on the importance of vaccination so that more people can get vaccines,” Jobe said.
