ZAMBIA National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) Professor Dr Victor Mukonka says Zambia has recorded 34 new cases of COVID-19 out of 418 tests done in the last 24 hours.

And Prof Mukonka says 105 patients have been discharged from various isolation facilities across the country.

Speaking during the daily COVID-19 update, Thursday, Prof Mukonka said 21 districts in six provinces had so far been affected.

” This morning Zambia has continued to record new cases of COVID-19. We have now 21 districts in six provinces which are affected so far. Today, we ran 418 tests in the last 24 hours of which we report 34 new cases of COVID-19. These cases were detected through community, point of entry screening, contact tracing and health facility surveillance. The 34 cases are aggregated as follows: 11 of them through the community screening we are conducting in Nakonde, then the 10 again from the community screening done in Lusaka; four are truck drivers, these are the ones who came through the Nakonde Border and three we have detected them during our hospital surveillance; two are coming from Nakonde again and one from UTH. We have three cases who are contacts to known cases in Nakonde and then two are lodge staff who work in the lodges in Nakonde; and then we have one health care worker at Nakonde urban clinic. So from the results again you can see the bulk is still coming from the epicentre in Nakonde,” Prof Mukonka said.

And Prof Mukonka said 105 patients had been discharged from various isolation facilities across the country.

“On a good note, we have discharged today 105 patients from our isolation facilities. The majority from Muchinga Province, 94, then one from Levy Mwanawasa, three from Solwezi and seven from Kabwe that have since tested negative to COVID-19. So the cumulative figure of cases is now 866 and includes seven deaths and 302 recoveries. So we continue to monitor persons at a very high risk. Today, those we had put under mandatory quarantine who have finished 14 days, I wish to report that we have 4,496 cumulative who have gone through the 14 days mandatory quarantine,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prof Mukonka said epidemiological data indicated that the continued rise in COVID- 19 cases was expected to continue in Zambia.

“The COVID-19 is with us for a long time to come. Our locally generated evidence informed by epidemiological data indicates that the rising trend in the rising cases in Zambia will continue. The more we move in with our interventions to go and look for the cases the more you are going to see the number rising up. So the scenario may escalate further if we do not adhere to the public health measures in place. As we adjust and adapt our way of life to ensure that we earn a balance between the essential life activities and observance of preventive health measures that protect us. We need the full participation and consistent corporation of every member of our community as we embrace the new normal,” said Prof Mukonka.