By Mubanga Mubanga
Government has signed a new Statutory Instrument SI of 2024, banning the gathering of five or more people in infected areas, Heath Minister Sylvia Masebo has said.
And Masebo has announced that 11 deaths in the last 24 hours were recorded, signifying a further decrease from Saturday when 18 deaths were recorded.
Meanwhile, the minister says it will be an offence to keep someone with diarrhea and vomiting at home.
Speaking during the daily cholera updates, Masebo said the gathering of more than five people who are not family in infected areas is banned.
She said 431 new cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours countrywide and this is slightly lower than yesterday (Saturday) when the 452 cases were recorded.
Masebo said the new cases are from six provinces and 381were recorded in Lusaka Province, 31 in Central Province, one in Eastern Province, 12 in Southern Province, one in Northwestern and five in the Copperbelt while Western, Northern and Muchinga had no new cases yesterday.
She said the government was glad that Luapula continues to report no cholera cases since this current outbreak and will continue monitoring and intensifying the prevention measures there.
Masebo said in the last 24 hours, 388 patients from the various treatment centers had been discharged; this was slightly lower than Saturday when 400 patients were discharged.
She said there are 859 patients in admission across the country, a slight rise from the 821 patients in treatment centers on Saturday.
And Masebo said in the last 24 hours, 11 deaths have been recorded.
“We have recorded a total of 11 deaths in the last 24 hours, a further decrease from yesterday when we recorded 18 deaths. Of these, nine deaths happened in Lusaka Province and two in Central province. We continue seeing more people brought in dead (BID) as 8 of these 11 deaths happened in the community and brought in dead (BID). Three (3) died in our cholera treatment facilities,” she said.
Masebo said Lusaka district has remained the most affected province as it recorded 381 new cases in the past 24 hours.
She added that there are a total of 775 patients who are in admission to various Lusaka-based treatment facilities.
She said at Heroes Stadium cholera treatment center, as of 06:00hrs yesterday morning, there were a total of 576 patients compared to 524 patients in admission Saturday.
“We sadly lost three adult patients, including one transferred to Levy Treatment center. This patient had severe COVID pneumonia with Cholera. There are an additional 47 patients admitted at Levy treatment center and 10 stable patients at the cholera center set up for the correction services at Kamwala Remand Prison,” she said.
The minister also said the government had been working with cooperating partners to secure Cholera vaccines to add to the ongoing measures being implemented to control the current outbreak.
Masebo said the cholera vaccines are in the process of arriving in the country in several batches and about 1.6 million doses are expected to have arrived by yesterday evening.
She said once the drugs are in, an official handover will be done to the Ministry of Health by cooperating partners today, January 15, 2024.
Masebo said after this, the Ministry will finalise the preparatory processes to begin community vaccinations in selected hot spots in Lusaka Province.
“The vaccinations will be conducted in a phased approach targeting people aged one year and above. Selected communities under Kanyama, Matero, Chipata, and Chawama areas in Lusaka as well as Rufunsa district will be targeted for this vaccination exercise based on the quantity of vaccines expected, high-risk of transmission areas,” Masebo said. “The targeted vaccinations and implementation of prevention measures including provision and use of safe water, observing good hygiene and safe sanitary practices everywhere else will contribute towards limiting the spread of Cholera here in Lusaka and countrywide.”
She said in line with invoked SI 79, a person who becomes aware or has reason to suspect that another person has died or is suffering from cholera shall immediately inform the nearest authorised officer in a local authority or public health facility.
The minister said the authorised officers may enter any premises to search for a case of cholera or to enquire if there is a case of cholera.
In addition, she said authorised officers may prohibit or restrict trading in or vending of food in unsanitary conditions, leading to the closure of premises that do not comply with hygienic practices.
Masebo further said authorised officers may order the cleaning or closure of the public premises or burial of any contaminated water body such as the shallow wells that the officer determines that a public premise does not have sufficient sanitation and hygiene to prevent the occurrence or transmission of cholera.
Further Masebo said with the amendment for 2024, the government had introduced a clause that prohibited the entry of bedsides into the cholera treatment centres.
She said this is in addition to the stringent measures regarding the safe burial of cholera suspects.
