By KALOBWE BWALYA
COVID-19 has badly hit Eastern province because of cross-border activities from neighboring Malawi where the pandemic is rampant, Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) director Professor Victor Mukonka has said.
Prof Mukonka said Eastern province was a busy province because of people that flock the area for various business activities.
Prof Mukonka said Eastern province had recoded a high number of patients that were in the facilities and that the neighboring country had an upswing of Covid-19 cases in health facilities.
He however said that although Eastern Province was an epicenter, Ministry of Health had ramped up technical and logistical support to the province, while heightening prevention, monitoring and treatment interventions.
Prof Mukonka said people should not relent or rather discard the wearing of masks, saying that the pandemic was highly infectious and deadly.
He expressed concern that despite the progress that was being made, government remained concerned with the high number of critically ill patients in hospitals.
Prof Mukonka said most of the cases that were being presented in hospitals were from community level, emphasizing the need for compliance to the five golden rules.
“There is no doubt that laxity to public health and social measures has been the main driver to the high COVID 19 positivity we continue recording, therefore the need for the general public to adhere to five golden rules so as to continuously upscale care and save lives, “said Pro Mukoka.
And Pro Mukoka said although there was a reduction seen in hospital admissions in the last two days, people should not relax in observing health guidelines.
On Sunday, 32 Covid-19 patients died with 13 having been recorded in Eastern province.
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