By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa
At least 396 passengers disembarking from the MV Illala ship have been screened for Coronavirus (COVID-19) at Kariba Port in Nkhotakota as a measure to prevent the spread of the disease.
Nkhotakota Health Care Workers, put up the measure since some of the passengers aboard the ship were coming from the neighboring Mozambique through Likoma Island.
Speaking with Malawi News Agency (Mana), District Environmental Health Officer (DEHO) for Nkhotakota, Chandiwira Jere said health personnel managed to screen a total of 396 passengers since the exercise started two weeks ago.
He said 273 were screened on the first day of the exercise and that of these; four were Mozambicans, while 10 were screened on day two and 113 on day three.
Briefing the District Civil Protection Committee (DCPC) on Friday, Director of Health and Social Services in the district Wezzie Mumba said the district had reported one confirmed case of COVID-19 and is currently on self quarantine.
She said COVID-19 samples have been collected for testing from 15 people within the district of which two were suspects and 13 were contacts for the suspect.
Mumba said the confirmed COVID-19 patient is not symptomatic hence no need for hospitalization, adding this is in line with Ministry of Health guidelines.
District Commissioner for Nkhotakota, Dr. Medson Matchaya, said the district has put in place measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the district.
He said there was need to enforce and observe all measures put in place in all public places such as social distance and washing hands frequently.
He called on partners in the district to support efforts by government and the Council in the fight against the spread of Corona virus.
460 samples have been collected from suspected people for testing for corona virus countrywide, and so far 23 people have been confirmed positive with COVID-19 with two deaths, and three recoveries, according to Ministry of Health announcement.
