Zambia hit hard by 3rd wave of COVID-19

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambia’s Health Ministry painted a bleak picture Monday of the effects of the country’s coronavirus outbreak as health officials pleaded for public compliance with prevention guidelines.

Kennedy Malama, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health in charge of technical services, announced in the capital Lusaka that the country had now registered a total of 100,765 cases and 1,315 deaths.

“In the last 24 hours, we recorded 487 new confirmed cases out of 4,902 tests conducted, representing a 10% positivity rate. Regrettably, we also recorded seven new deaths in the last 24 hours,” Malama said.

However, the senior health official also revealed that the newly built Lusaka Specialized Hospital had been opened as an isolation center for COVID-19 patients.

Another boost in the fight against the pandemic was the resumption of work by resident doctors who had downed tools for a week in protest against a delayed settling of arrears and other emoluments by the government.

In the latest update, combined discharges from COVID-19 isolation facilities and home-based care management were at 320, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 93,694.

However, the 24-hour period under review also presented 53 new admissions, bringing the number of active cases to 5,756.

A total of 186 among those under admission were on oxygen therapy, with 21 in critical condition.