By Memory Chatonda
Blantyre, March 10, Mana: A Special Cabinet Committee on Coronavirus (Covi-19) Tuesday assured Malawians of safety should coronavirus outbreak hit the country.
The Committee Chair, Jappie Mhango made the assurance during a press briefing in Blantyre organized to update the nation on the status of Coronavirus in the country.
Mhango, who is also the Minister of Health, said currently, Malawi has never recorded any case of the virus and that the committee was on lookout to ensure that the virus does not emanate the country.
“The Committee was very alert over Coronavirus. We have instituted different precautionary measures such screening Coronavirus in all travellers arriving in the country through international airports, providing a mechanism for laboratory confirmation of the virus in patients who may be suspected of the infection, educating the masses of the diseases and ensuring that hospitals have the capacity and drugs to manage coronavirus suspected patients among others.
“The activities seek to prevent Coronavirus from being transmitted to Malawi and also prepare the country to handle any case should a Coronavirus case be diagnosed,” he said, assuring people of their safety.
The Committee Chair reminded the public of personal hygiene such as avoiding close contact with people who are sick and washing hands frequently with soap to reduce human infection and death.
Meanwhile, government is following up for 14 days travellers from China, Italy, France, Germany, Italy and South Korea who were suspected of coronavirus.
“So far, as of March 9, 2020, we had in total followed up 233 people. Out of which, 111 are still under self-isolation and no person has been found with the disease.
Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Mark Botomani urged the media to take the message across the country to ensure that the masses are well informed on the outbreak.
Coronavirus outbreak which begun in Wuhan City, Huber Province of China has now spread to almost all Provinces in China and other 101 countries across the globe.
As of March 8, 2020, a total of 105,586 laboratory confirmed cases had been reported globally.
Of these cases, 80,859 had been reported from China. A total of 3,584 deaths had been reported globally.
