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Africa: Chakwera Confirms South Africa Covid-19 Variant Is in Malawi As Virus Flares
Nyasa Times, 1 February 2021
President Lazarus Chakwera has said the new variant of coronavirus that has been circulating in South Africa called 501.V2 is now being seen in Malawi as the Covid-19 cases… Read more »
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Malawi: The 'Second Wave' of Covid-19 is Overwhelming Malawi
MSF, 29 January 2021
Friday, January 29, 2021 — After being relatively spared by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Malawi is being swept by a new, fast-spreading wave of the disease that is quickly… Read more »
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Malawi: Sex Workers Protest Covid-19 Curfew
Nyasa Times, 28 January 2021
Female sex workers marched in the streets of the capital Lilongwe against a government decision to impose a night curfew and closure of bars which they say have serious economic… Read more »
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Malawi: Malawi Is Overwhelmed By Second Wave of Coronavirus Covid-19
MSF, 27 January 2021
After being relatively spared by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Malawi is now being swept by a new, fast-spreading wave of the disease that is quickly overwhelming the healthcare… Read more »
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Malawi: Covid-19 Kills Two Ruling Party MPs
Nyasa Times, 27 January 2021
Two ruling Tonse Alliance legislators have today died of Covid-19. Read more »
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Malawi: New Variant Swells Second Covid-19 Wave
CAJ News, 28 January 2021
A rapidly spreading wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19), believed to be the variant 500Y.V2 first identified in South Africa has engulfed Malawi. Read more »
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Malawi: Mid-Year Budget Session On Despite Spike in Covid-19
Nyasa Times, 28 January 2021
Officials at National Assembly say the mid-year budget meeting will go ahead despite the fact that Covid-19 is attacking more legislators. Read more »
We Provide Essential Services, Sex Workers Tell Malawi Govt
Sex workers have marched in the streets of Lilongwe against a government decision to impose a night curfew and closure of bars which they say have serious economic implications on their lives. They are asking President Lazarus Chakwera's government to review the decisions and allow them to operate normally, saying they provide "essential services." After being relatively spared by the novel coronavirus in 2020, Malawi is being swept by a new, fast-spreading wave of the disease that is quickly overwhelming the health care system. In the first few weeks of January, the number of positive cases has doubled every four to five days, and while the local capacity is already saturated, access to vaccines is likely a few months away.
InFocus
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SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has mutated, and there are several variants - one of which, B.1.351, was first detected in South Africa at the beginning of October 2020 and it now accounts for the vast majority of genetically sequenced samples in the country. Variants of Covid-19 mean that existing vaccines like the AstraZeneca/Oxford are less effective. Now Nigeria has detected several cases of the variant first spread in the UK - B.1.1.7 - as countries around the world impose more
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Property has been destroyed at Mapanga Prison Training College in Blantyre following a scuffle between Malawians who recently returned from South Africa and police officers. The returnees went rioting as they demanded their passports back and immediate release to go to their homes, protesting the quarantine protocol. Malawi Police have moved in fast to enforce Covid-19 preventive measures in a country where over 225 people have died from a cumulative
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A health expert has predicated a drop in cholera cases for 2020, thanks to the Covid-19 protocols. Maziko Matemba, one of the leading commentators on health matters has said the cleanliness which goes with Covid-19 preventive measures, will push the cholera cases down. In the 2017-2018 period, there were 939 cases and 32 deaths, while during the 2018-2019 cholera period, the country registered 26 cases and one death. Other health experts have lauded the clean-up campaign launched by President
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Malawi will be given U.S.$101.96 million additional funds from the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Rapid Credit Facility (RCF), to address the economic impact of Covid-19. Tao Zhang, IMF Deputy Managing Director has said the authorities are actively implementing measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and preserve macroeconomic stability and emergency financing under the second RCF, that will help close the immediate additional external and fiscal financing gaps. In July 2020, the
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The National Covid-19 Office is in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), effectively replacing the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19. This office will be providing daily updates to the nation. Malawi currently has 2,712 positive cases, 1,073 number of people who have recovered and 51 deaths.
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