Some health experts have asked authorities to swiftly start preparing the country’s public hospitals as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
The calls follow the three digit mark of new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours for the first time after three months as yesterday the country registered 169 new cases and one death.
Reacting to the three-digit new Covid-19 cases in an interview, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (Nonm) president Shouts Simeza said the three-digit mark is a signal that the country might be in another Covid-19 crisis.
He said: “The first wave hit us hard and so did the second wave. Unfortunately, when the Minister of Finance [Felix Mlusu] presented the 2021/22 National Budget, he did not indicate how the country will handle the third wave, yet we had signals from neighbouring countries that Covid-19 third wave is coming.”
In a separate interview, epidemiologist Titus Divala said the country is already in the third wave of the pandemic and authorities should swiftly prepare public hospitals, saying cases will continue rising.
On why Blantyre is getting the largest Covid-19 new cases, Divala said it is because the commercial city is close to Mwanza border and Chileka Airport which most people use when entering the country.
“It may also mean that Blantyre has a hardworking team in terms of health workers, which is doing a good job in handling Covid-19 cases, and it may also be that in other districts they are not doing a good job [in testing],” said Divala.
