In the past 24 hours, Malawi has registered 47 new COVID-19 cases, 681 new recoveries, no
new deaths. Of the new cases, 41 of the new cases are locally transmitted: 23 from Blantyre, 14 from Lilongwe, and one each from Chitipa, Dowa, Kasungu, and Zomba Districts while
six of the new cases are imported and were identified at Mwami border during routine
screening: five are residents of Lilongwe and one is from Nkhata Bay Districts. No new
deaths in the past 24 hours but we have one death being reported today that occurred on
12th March 2021 in Ntcheu District. To the families that have lost their loved during this
pandemic, may you find peace, hope and love during this difficult times. May the departed
souls rest in peace. In yesterday’s update, five cases from Chikwawa were mistakenly
counted as new cases but these were previously confirmed cases and were being retested for clinical management. Therefore, Chikwawa did not register any new cases and the total number of new cases registered yesterday for the whole country was 38.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 32,831 cases including 1,083 deaths (Case Fatality Rate is at 3.30%). Of these cases, 2,092 are imported infections and 30,739 are locally transmitted. Cumulatively, 26,259 cases have now recovered (recovery rate of 80%) and 134 were lost to follow-up. This brings the total number of active cases to 5,355. In the past 24 hours, fivecases were hospitalised while ten were discharged. Currently, a total of 51 active cases are hospitalised: 12 in Lilongwe, 12 in Blantyre, seven in Zomba, four each in Mzimba North and Karonga, three in Ntcheu, three in Thyolo, two each in Mchinji and Kasungu, and one each in Chiradzulu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Ntcheu, and Balaka Districts. On testing, in the past 24 hours, 383 COVID-19 tests were conducted. Of these, 110 tests were through SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic test while the rest were through RT-PCR. The positive cases out of the total translates to a positivity rate of 12.3%. Cumulatively, 208,165 tests have been conducted in the country so far.
Today, I would like to assure the public that our country has a robust immunization program
and within that, vaccine safety surveillance is one of the key components that is taken seriously., The vaccine safety surveillance team follows up all adverse events following
immunization for all the vaccines that are being offered to various groups in country, with or without causality link. Similarly, on the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine safety surveillance is part and parcel of the vaccine roll out plan. As you are aware that our State President, His
Excellency Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera launched the COVID-19 vaccination on 11th March and it is day four since the launch, no major side effects have been reported among thepeople that have been vaccinated so far. The vaccine safety surveillance system will continue to monitor the vaccination exercise and the public will continuously be updated.
As communicated earlier that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe as it has few side effects and
most of them are minor and self-limiting and these include pain or soreness on the injection site, fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, fatigue or nausea and these will usually go away without any need of hospital treatment. As with any other vaccines, those that are receiving the vaccine are informed on the possible side effects of the vaccine including those that may need to be immediately reported to the health workers. Those that have or will be receiving the vaccine are encouraged to report to nearest health facilities any adverse effects following immunization or call toll free 929. Remember, the COVID-19 vaccine is being rolled out to help to reduce deaths, the risk of hospitalization and severe diseases from COVID-19.
No one is safe until everyone else is safe. Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones. Protect everyone. Call toll free 929.
Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP
MINISTER OF HEALTH
CO-CHAIRPERSON – PRESIDENTIAL TASKFORCE