MINISTRY of Health permanent secretary in charge of administration Kakulubelwa Mulalelo says the country has recorded 111 new COVID-19 cases including three related deaths in the last seven days.

And Mulalelo says 112 patients, including Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya and his information counterpart Dora Siliya have been discharged.

Speaking during the COVID-19 update, Monday, Mulalelo said the three related COVID-19 deaths were from the Copperbelt.

“We have recorded 111 new cases out of 8,805 tests that have been undertaken since the last briefing that was held seven days ago. These cases include 33 community screening; that is 11 from Lusaka, nine from Kitwe, nine from Nakonde, one from Chirundu, two from Mpongwe and one from Kalulushi. It is contacts to known positives, that is one from Ndola and seven from Lusaka, 27 new cases through health facility screening that is Lusaka 30, Ndola seven, Mansa five, Kafue one, Kitwe one. 14 health care workers that is Arthur Davison Hospital in Ndola six, Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital three, Cancer Disease Hospital three, the Masaiti Isolation facility centre one and Ndola Teaching Hospital one. We also had 29 truck drivers 10 from Nakonde, eight from Ndola, five from Chirundu and six from Chadiza making the total of 111,” Mulalelo said.

“In the past seven days, we have also recorded three associated deaths on the Copperbelt increasing our number to 10 Covid-19 deaths. These include; a 47-year-old man truck driver who had a respiratory distress and went into coma for three days at Kitwe Teaching Hospital. The other one was a 75-year-0old woman who was admitted to Ndola Teaching Hospital with pneumonia. The third was a 40-year-old man with history of long standing hypertension and HIV infection with poor adherence to treatment at Ndola Teaching Hospital.”

Mulalelo also announced that Dr Chilufya and Siliya had been discharged from isolation.

“A total of 112 patients from our isolation facilities have been discharged in the last seven days thus the cumulative number of cases now stands at 1,200 out of 37,448 tests conducted so far which include 10 deaths and 988 recoveries. All patients remaining under isolation are in stable condition. I am happy to inform you that the Minister of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya and his counterpart at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting honorable Siliya who were both in isolation have been discharged after they both tested negative on two successive tests,” she said.

Mulalelo said 6,000 people had completed the 14 day mandatory quarantine.

“We continue to monitor persons coming from high risk areas and to date a total of 6,093 have successfully completed the 14 day mandatory quarantine. Furthermore, our response team has cleared as non-cases a total of 2,081 alerts notified,” she said.

Mulalelo announced that Copperbelt had now reported a cummulative number of 115 cases.

“I now wish to update you on special operations in various parts of the country. In the Copperbelt, a special operation was undertaken the COVID-19 targeted operation on the Copperbelt was implemented with 5,598 individuals having samples collected for laboratory testing by the 7th of June 2020. Samples are being tested by designated laboratories. The operation was focused on identifying target areas such as points of entry, markets, truck stops, mining companies and selected boarding schools. 12 new cases that is nine in Kitwe, two in Mpongwe and one in Kalulushi have been detected among the 741 samples that were tested during the special operation bringing the cumulative number of cases on the Copperbelt to 115,” Mulalelo said.

She said all the patients in isolation facilities in Nakonde had been discharged.

“In Nakonde, the number of news cases are on the decline however, we continue to monitor the outbreak through contact tracing and surveillance. A total of 593 cases have been conformed in Nakonde with no fatalities so far. All patients in isolation facilities have been discharged,” Mulalelo said.

Meanwhile, Mulalelo said 44 truck drivers from Chirundu had tested positive for COVID-19.

“In Chirundu district, the cumulative number of cases stands at 47 of whom 44 are truck drivers. In Kafue, the incidence of Covid-19 has also reduced. We have 21 positive COVID-19 cases including one death that has been confirmed out of 2,087 screened and tested during the mass screening exercise. The only COVID-19 case that has been detected in the last seven days has been one,” said Mulalelo.