Zambia develops blueprint to accelerate COVID-19 fight

 

Zambia has developed a COVID-19 resurgence plan aimed at accelerating the fight against the pandemic.

Sylvia Masebo, the Minister of Health, said the resurgence plan, which will soon be released, will help consolidate the country’s national response to COVID-19 in a multisectoral approach.

“I, therefore, urge all our partners and well-wishers to align their support as we fight the COVID-19 collectively,” she said in a release on the COVID-19 situation in the country.

While acknowledging that the pandemic has remained a source of great concern to the country, the minister said the government remains resolved and committed to the fight in order to preserve the lives and livelihoods of the people.

According to her, the commitment has been demonstrated by the appointment of a COVID-19 Advisor to the President.

She noted that the pandemic has left a negative effect on the country’s development with 236,958 COVID-19 cases recorded last year, out of which 51 percent were males and 49 percent females, with 86 percent of people infected aged 18 years and above.

She further said the new Omicron variant was spreading fast with 88 new cases of the variant detected in the past few days, bringing the total cases of Omicron variant to 197.

The country’s cumulative cases stand at 261,211, following 1,544 new confirmed cases reported in the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health figures.

The new cases were picked from 5,754 tests done during the period, representing a 27 percent positivity while 2,725 people were discharged, bringing the total recoveries to 229,006.

At least 10 people died during the same period, bringing the total deaths to 3,753.