Malawi Registers two new Covid-19 Deaths, 20 New Cases

Malawi has for the past 24 hours, registered two new Covid-19 deaths and 20 new cases.

Addressing members of the press in Lilongwe, Co-Chairperson of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 Dr. John Phuka, said a senior government official who was working in Chitipa and a 26-year-old man from Mwanza District have died of Covid-19.

“The senior government official passed away today in Mzuzu and the other one [the 26-year-old man] has passed on at Mwanza District Hospital just upon arrival from South Africa. This brings the total number of deaths to eight.

“Let me convey my deepest sympathy to bereaved families and particularly government officials in Chitipa. May their souls rest in peace” said Phuka.

Phuka said of the new registered cases, eight are health care workers, seven from Mzuzu and one from Lilongwe. Five more cases have been registered in Mzuzu, three in Blantyre, two in Chitipa, one each in Mzimba, Nsanje and Mwanza.

“This means Malawi has cumulatively recorded 592 cases including eight deaths. Of these cases, 456 are imported infections [people coming from outside the country] and 118 are local transmissions. We are still investigating 17 cases,” said Phuka.

The Co-Chairperson further stated that a total of 74 cases have recovered, bringing the total of active cases to 510.
He then informed members of the press that 385 Malawians who left South Africa a few days ago are expected to arrive at Mwanza border.

“They are being ferried in nine buses and we expect them to arrive tonight [night of Thursday, 18th June, 2020],” said Phuka.