By AARON CHIYANZO
OVER 98 percent of people who received the Covid-19 vaccine have been spared from severe disease and death, Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Kennedy Malama has said.
Dr Malama has thus appealed so all citizens to take advantage and get vaccinated.
He also announced that about 701 Covid-19 patients in Zambia were on oxygen with the majority requiring high flow.
He said as the vaccination programme resumes tomorrow, citizens should take advantage and get vaccinated.
Dr Malama said in a statement that the country had continued experience an unprecedented increase in Covid-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths.
He said this time last month, the country had only 50 patients in health facilities but today there were over 1, 000 Covid-19 cases in facilities.
Dr Malama said the number of critical patients had gone up, from just four on May 21 last year to today having 131 in critical condition.
“The saddest part of it all is we are still on an upward trend with the peak of this wave not yet in sight. Our oxygen demand, the critical drug in case management, has also gone up significantly, from having just 32 patients on oxygen countrywide a month ago to now having 701 patients on oxygen with the majority requiring high flow oxygen,” he said.
Dr Malama said the hospitals both public and private offering Covid-19 isolation and treatment facilities were heavily burdened with patients, many of whom requiring intensive and critical care.
He said the number of daily Covid-19 deaths was unprecedented with the country reporting 407 deaths in just three weeks of the third wave.
Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, Zambia recorded 1, 598 new confirmed Covid-19 cases out of 6,369 tests conducted (25 per cent positivity), bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to date to 130,631.
He said Covid-19 deaths remained high, with 47 new deaths having been reported in the last 24 hours.
Dr Malama however said Covid-19 was a preventable disease and taking the fight to communities was the way to go. He said a concerted effort with every individual was a must if the country was to win the war against the Covid-19.
