Malawi Relaxes COVID-19 Restrictions As Infections, Deaths Drop

Sumaira FH Published October 09, 2021 | 04:31 PM

The Malawi government has announced the easing of restrictive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic following a drop in new infections and deaths

LILONGWE, Oct. 9 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Oct, 2021 ) :The Malawi government has announced the easing of restrictive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic following a drop in new infections and deaths.

Minister of Health and Population Services, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, on Friday announced this at a press briefing held at her ministry's headquarters in the capital, Lilongwe.

She noted that the country's COVID-19 Case Fatality Ratio is at 3.7 percent while the recovery rate is at 91.2 percent.

The minister added that there is a corresponding decline in the prevalence rate of the epidemic in neighboring countries and in the rest of the region hence the relaxation of the measures.

"On the basis of the available data, we are now at Level 1 of the Coronavirus pandemic in the country as classified in the Public Health Rules, 2021," said the minister.

Chiponda said workplaces would be allowed to resume normal office capacity but with strict observance of recommended general public health preventive measures such as use of face masks, frequent washing of hands, use of sanitizers and social distancing, and frequent disinfection of offices.

The government has also allowed public transport carriages to resume normal capacity but with strict observance of recommended general public health preventive measures.

Limitations on gatherings have been revised to 50 percent of the holding capacity for indoor venues with a maximum of 500 persons, and up to 2,000 persons for outdoor venues.

"A night curfew has been adjusted to run from 12-midnight to 06:00 hours in the morning; consequently, bottle stores, bars and restaurants must close by 11:00 pm to allow staff to travel back to their homes before the curfew kicks in," she said.

Malawi has recorded a total of 61,663 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 2,287 deaths.