562 people tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in 24 hours nationwide, Malawi’s Presidential Task force has said.
The Presidential Task Force on CoVID-19 added that nine people died from the virus in the period.
Dr. John Phuka, the co-chairperson of the task force, said that 18 new recoveries were recorded.
According to him, hospital admissions are at the highest with at 167 in 18 hospitals across the country; Blantyre still as the highest at 71.
“We should not despair or lose hope as we can stop the spread of the disease if all of us act decisively and choose to adhere to the preventive measures,” Phuka said.
“I have observed that there is fear, worry, stress and anxiety among the public with how the disease is spreading. Let me point it out that these are expected responses to perceived or real threats, and at times when we are faced with uncertainty or the unknown.
“As such, it is expected that people are experiencing fear in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Added to the fear of contracting the virus in a pandemic such as Covid-19 are the significant changes to our daily lives in support of efforts to contain and slow down the spread of the virus.”
Malawi has so far confirmed about 10 000 coronavirus cases and 275 deaths – including two cabinet ministers.