COVID-19 cases rise by 34

By OLIVER SAMBOKO
THE country has recorded 34 new Covid-19 cases from 418 samples tested in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total to 866, the Ministry of Heath announced yesterday at a media briefing in Lusaka.
Zambia National Public Health Institute director, Professor Victor Mukonka also disclosed that 105 people had been discharged from isolation centres.
He said the new cases involved, 23 from Nakonde, while 11 were recorded from Lusaka adding that so far 21 districts from six provinces had so far been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pro Mukonka said also disclosed that Government had temporary lifted the lockdown imposed on Nakonde for two days to allow residents to restock food but however, said screening of residents and disinfecting would continue.
He said the Ministry of Health had put in place a strategy aimed at minimising importation of new cases from the neighbouring countries and that to achieve that, screening and surveillance will be scaled up at all border posts.
He said as a way of scaling up efforts for screening and testing, Government would set up another diagnostic centre in Livingstone.
Prof Mukonka said Covid-19 was fatal and people should practice high levels of hygiene, social distance and masking up in public because the virus was a real threat to the population.
And speaking earlier at a media briefing, held at the Ministry of Information, General Education Minister, David Mabumba disclosed that Government would provide face masks to all the learners and teachers when schools reopen as a preventive measure against the spread Covid-19.
He assured parents and guardians that Government would ensure that schools are safer for the learners and emphasised that school authorities would ensure that social distancing was observed.
Mr. Mabumba explained that lessons would start from where the teachers ended when schools abruptly closed in the first term following the outbreak of Covid-19 and that all examinations would be based on what the pupils would learn.