Lusaka Times, 2 April 2020. Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has disclosed that Zambia has not recorded a new COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours. During the twelfth COVID-19 update Wednesday afternoon Dr Chilufya said no new case has been recorded out of the 99 individuals that underwent testing and the number of confirmed cases still stands at 36.
And Dr. Chilufya has announced that President Edgar Lungu has ordered with immediate effect on the recruitment of 400 doctors as well as 3100 paramedics as a way of enhancing the response towards the fight against the pandemic. He said the President has gone further to offer incentives to the front line health personnel as a way of motivating the workers who are sacrificing their lives to the coronavirus fight.
“The President has directed extra incentives for the front line health personnel who are heroes and heroines and he is thrilled with your patriotism and hard work towards the Covid-19 fight and stands with you as you wage the fight against the pandemic” Dr. Chilufya assured. On the status of the cases, Dr. Chilufya said all the people that tested positive are all stable except the critical individual who is on oxygen but not deteriorating.
He disclosed that 5 alerts of possible cases were recorded but tested negative after being isolated and have since been discharged. And Dr. Chilufya said tests have been expanded to Ndola in order to cater for the northern region.
He said Zambia also continues to respond to the pandemic regionally and these include facilitation of movements, regional trade regulation issues, and business facilitation among others. He reiterated the need to avoid traveling into or outside Lusaka considering that it is the epicenter of the Coronavirus and discouraged public gatherings while emphasizing the need to adhere to all the laid down health measures to curb the virus and said a scalable plan in relation to the escalation of cases will also be enforced. Dr. Chilufya said the government remains committed to ensure that the matrix of the ones that tested positive are followed in order to avoid new infections at all costs.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu authorises government to recruit 3,400 health workers to curb spread of Covid-19 in Zambia.