MINISTER of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya has announced that the country has recorded 1,161 cases out of 11,700 tests and five facility deaths in the last 24 hours.

In a statement, Sunday, Dr Chilufya stated that 191 patients were admitted to health facilities of which 112 were on oxygen therapy.

“The number of patients admitted to our health facilities is 191 cases with 112 on oxygen therapy. We have discharged 86 people bringing the cumulative recoveries to 20,598. Unfortunately we lost 5 patients in our health facilities including; 2 patients, in Levy Isolation Center; a woman in Livingstone Central Hospital; a young man in Solwezi General Hospital; and elderly man in Lewanika General Hospital. The cumulative deaths is 469 with 164 due to COVID-19, while 291 are associated COVD-19 deaths and 14 are yet to be classified,” he stated.

“Today, 1,161 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded out of 11,700 tests done in the last 24 hours bringing cumulative COVID-19 cases nationally to 27,728. The new cases were detected in 47 districts with the highest five being Lusaka (365); Ndola (140); Kabwe (137); Rufunsa (74); Chipata (52).”

He stated that the cumulative number of cases had now risen to 27,728 with 469 deaths.

“The COVID-19 outbreak in Zambia has now affected a total of 27,728 people including 469 deaths among 104 districts countrywide since the beginning of the outbreak in Zambia. During this second wave we see our health facilities fast filling up,” he stated.

Dr Chilufya noted that poor adherence to laid down guidelines was exacerbating the spread.

“Countrymen and women, this global public health threat caused by SARS-CoV-2 is affecting many countries including many on our continent. The story remains the same globally, poor adherence to prescribed public health measures coupled with the vicious nature of the new strain in many circumstances being the exacerbating factor of the increased number of cases,” stated Dr Chilufya.

“The only way to manage the outbreak is to stop the person to person transmission by avoiding following the five golden rules: 1) Mask up in public; 2) Maintain physical distance; 3) Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer; 4) Avoid crowded places and stay at home; 5) Seek medical attention early if symptomatic.”