Covid Taskforce warns of third wave
Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has warned that there could be a third wave of Covid if people stop following coronavirus preventative measures.
Kandodo Chiponda, who is also Presidential Taskforce on Covid co- Chairperson, said there was a need to continue adhering to containment measures despite that the country has been registering reduced cases of Covid-related hospital admissions, deaths and infections.
“…failure to do that may lead to increased transmission of the virus in our communities and this might lead to a resurgence of the massive transmission of the disease, which can result in a third wave of the pandemic in the country,” she said during the Covid situation update on Saturday.
The minister said there was evidence that other countries were registering increased cases of community transmissions; as such, Malawi has to avoid experiencing a similar scenario.
“To effectively reduce and stop the coronavirus from spreading, there is a need for collective efforts to contain the pandemic by comprehensively following all the preventive and containment measures as well as getting vaccinated,” Kandodo Chiponda said.
Malawi Health Equity Network Executive Director George Jobe concurred with the minister.
He recalled that, between September and October last year, declining cases made some people believe that they were done with coronavirus, only for cases to surge again and pave the way for the second wave of the virus.
“We have, indeed, seen that the numbers are going down. It is very good that we, as a nation, are observing what is happening in other countries and we have taken note that one of the countries which is close to Malawi is experiencing a third wave.
“This information must be used to ensure that Malawians wake up and that cases of relaxation that are being registered now should be dealt with,” Jobe said.
Covid preventive measures include face mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing.
Mathews Kasanda is a journalist who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Malawi (The Polytechnic).
In 2015, Media Institute of Southern Africa awarded him the Best Print Media Education Journalist of the Year accolade.
He joined Times Group Newsroom in September 2019.
