Maputo city and province: MISAU worried with rise in coronavirus cases

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Maputo city and province: MISAU worried with rise in coronavirus cases

3:35 CAT | 15 Jul 2020

Image: MISAU; July 14 2020

The Ministry of Health (MISAU) is closely monitoring the evolution of the epidemiological situation in the city and province of Maputo because of a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases recorded in the last 48 hours.

The significant number of new infections could mean the onset of community transmission if the trend persists in the coming days.

On Monday (July 13), the country recorded 62 new cases of Covid-19, 45 in the city and province of Maputo. On Tuesday (July 14), the sector notified 49 new infections, 36 from these two regions.

Of the cases reported in the province of Maputo, 23 are national citizens returning from South Africa within the scope of the measures taken to counter the pandemic in the neighbouring country. Their samples were collected for testing at the border post of Ressano Garcia.

The deputy director-general of the National Institute of Health (INS), Eduardo Samo Gudo, said that, until last Sunday, the evolution of the epidemiological situation showed fluctuation and there was no consistent trend.

“For the first time, on two consecutive days, we had a significant number of cases. If this trend continues, we may enter a new phase,” Samo Gudo said. “However, we must exclude cases from South Africa from this assessment, because they introduce what we call the confounding factor,” he added.

Graphicmisau — *Image: MISAU; July 13 2020*

Mozambique has now (Tuesday, July 14) had a cumulative total of 1,268 Covid-19 cases, of which 1,145 are of local transmission and the remaining 123 are imported.

The new cases include 47 Mozambicans and two foreigners, one Indian and one South African. Among these, there is one below 14 years of age, five adolescents and young people aged between 15 and 24 years, 16 between 25 and 34 years old, 18 adults between 35 and 44 years old, four aged between 45 and54 years old and five between 55 and 64 years old.

A statement from the National Directorate of Public Health reveals that the positive cases are among a total of 884 samples sent to the INS and other private laboratories.

Thirty individuals are currently hospitalised and suffering from chronic pathologies associated with Covid-19. In Inhambane province, one individual has been discharged into isolation at home.

The country has four more patients denoted as recovered, bringing the total to 373, and has registered nine Covid-19-related deaths.