Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya says Zambia has recorded four new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 16 as at Thursday.
Speaking during a media briefing, Thursday, Dr Chilufya said three out of the four additional cases had travelled from Pakistan and one of them, a resident of Luanshya, had been in contact with the traveller from Pakistan on their return flight to Lusaka from Dubai.
“The number of laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases in Zambia has risen to 16. We have recorded four new cases, and three cases involve individuals with history of travel to Pakistan. Ane case involved a citizen who is based in Luanysha that was was on the same flight from Dubai to Lusaka when they interacted with one of the passengers that came from Pakistan,” Dr Chilufya said.
“The forth case involved a Zambian again who travelled to Pakistan on March 9th and returned on March 18th. When we followed up this case, we did discover that there were a number of people who did travel to Pakistan. We noticed that the number was much more than the number that we thought. And in following up all these cases and their contacts, that is how we managed to identify the eight cases that added to the four to make it 12. The four cases that we are talking about today again, three are related to the Pakistan trip and also the third was related, being in contact with one of the people who travelled [to Pakistan].”
He said the four cases that were recorded came from the 54 tests of possible contacts with those that travelled to Pakistan that where tested on Wednesday.
“We want to assure you that the multi-sectoral team that is being involved in contact tracing surveillance has escalated its interventions in line with the marching orders given by President Edgar Lungu. We are following up every contact associated with the cases that got into the country and like I said earlier on, the 16th case is based in Luanshya and we also know that one of the people that travelled back from Pakistan travelled to Petauke and we are currently following up everybody,” Dr Chilufya said.
“It is important to note that it is the alert awareness system that picks up such cases. We picked somebody in Luanshya who just sat next to the forth positive case on one of the airplanes. When we discovered that this person was positive, we looked at the contacts, beginning with the people that sat next or in close proximity to this person on the flight.”
He said the government was transparent in releasing information about the cases recorded in the country and assured people that the country was well equipped with test kits and ventilators to handle the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus.
“We are transparent as a government in releasing information. There is no value in us hiding any information. There are no health workers reported yet to have acquired COVID-19. We do acknowledge that health workers are at high risk and as a matter of fact, there are many jurisdictions that have shown vulnerability from COVID-19 and we have put in place measures to ensure that our front-line staff are protected from getting COVID-19. We have not reported any case of a front liner getting COVID-19,” said Dr Chilufya.
“We have adequate test kits in the country and we continue getting support from our various partners. We have adequate ventilators strategically positioned in various parts of the country and we are ready for the initial cases. We continue to invest in equipment as part of our modernisation programme.”
7 responses
Why are we mentioning ng Pakistan so many times? It is racist. It is demeaning the whole nation. Is it because Pakistan is an Islamic nation? Learn to respect Islam and be a phobia infested journalist.
Selfish people. They should have self isolated once returned back from abroad. They have no respect for the communities and citizens. Typical idiots with minus zero IQ .
Isaleni ama bodaz these People Are passing through Kk international airport they Are being screened they test negative but later positive zambia can’t do anything with deadly disease
From 3 to 16 Dr chilufya are you sure????
What a lier.Their are at least 600 people infected.
Please my people in zambia don’t allowed any one to enter in our country you have already seen three people coming in France they have coronavirus already but why you are allowed another people’s in our country just crossed or the borders please to protect our country please this is a very very bad disease you see how many people died in out country you see but you are continue welcome people that’s not good please protect your self and your people in zambia thanks
This is a ridiculous way of trying to assure the zambian people sir. We, zambian people, are’nt that ignorant and uninformed. We, or rather, I know there is no nation on the glob that can pretend being “well equiped and disposed” (as you say), to face this pandemic, unless we don’t know the subject we’r actually treating. I love my nation and it’s peuple. I would love that she, Zambia, be well enough armed to face this calamnity and she will be the first and certainly the only nation on the glob to do that. Please, let’s sit down and reason on means to face this pandemic. It’s no longer the moment to point fingers to find out who’s responsible bringing in the virus – the problem is already local ‘nd I’ve seen no nation enough equiped to respond to this problem which is real! Isn’t the world a “global village” to live and solve such problems together???! No need to promis ‘nd sell ideals’ – reaction is all we need!!!
Lupupa Steven ([email protected])