Covid19

For the 2nd consecutive day, a new focus for covid-19 emerged in Mozambique, this time in the province of Gaza where one of the Mozambicans repatriated from South Africa traveled on a bus with other passengers, all of whom were unaware of their HIV status. Health authorities also revealed that the four new patients in Beira City were diagnosed at the Munhava and Ponta Gêa Health Centers and one of the youngest is in the Dondo District. The National Institute of Health tested between Monday (11) and Tuesday (12) over 192 suspected cases of covid-19, 23 from Cabo Delgado Province, the last Total workers in the camps in Afungi (all with negative results) , two samples from Gaza Province, 119 from Maputo Province, mostly Mozambicans repatriated from the Republic of South Africa, and 48 samples from Maputo City. The National Director of Public Health announced that one of the tests had a positive result, “this is an individual of Mozambican nationality, male, 26 years old. He is part of a group of Mozambicans repatriated from the Republic of South Africa and his sample was taken at the Transitional Center of Manguaza, in the District of Moamba, in Maputo Province ”.

 According to Dr. Rosa Marlene, the 104th person infected with the new coronavirus in Mozambique “has no symptoms and, therefore, is in isolation at home. At this moment, the process of mapping the contacts of this case is underway ”.

Questioned by @Verdade, the National Director for the Health Survey and Monitoring Area revealed that although the 104th test was carried out in Maputo Province, the individual traveled on a bus to Gaza Province. “Yes, it was a fact that this individual received the result while being in Gaza Province, however the entire itinerary and route is known and ensures that the two local health authorities, Gaza and Maputo Province, are in interaction to ensure that there is no transmission in this process of sending compatriots to other destinations ”.

Recalling that Health personnel who went to the Manguaza Transitional Center took tests for a certain number of individuals but were confronted with more returnees, Dr. Sérgio Chicumbe explained that “there was an epidemiological segregation but also taking into account logistical factors , people who had to go to other provinces were prioritized. However, the processing of samples takes up to 48 hours and these people, with the support of the other institutions involved in the management of disaster migration, are transported and located in other provinces under conditions defined by the health authorities ”.

New transmission chains reveal that the virus has spread to citizens of less affluent social classes

The Health authority clarified that the infected citizen, still unaware of the result, traveled to Gaza Province “in transport organized in a multisectoral way, it is not an ambulance but it is a car organized by the Mozambican State and with the participation of the local Health authority ”.

Dr. Chicumbe added that this Tuesday (12th) the collection of samples from returnees from South Africa was concluded, “at this moment when we are here, there are testing panels that are running at the National Institute of Health and we only bring the completed tests, tomorrow we will bring the conclusive information ”.

Meanwhile, the Health authorities revealed that the four patients diagnosed in the City of Beira, on Monday (11), were identified in the “active surveillance was carried out at the Munhava Health Center and the Ponta Gêa Health Center”. However, children under 10 years of age are resident in the Municipality of Dondo.

The new transmission chains of the last 2 days reveal that the virus previously diagnosed in middle and upper class citizens has spread to citizens from less affluent social classes and with greater difficulties of home isolation, making it essential to comply with social distance as well as remaining measures imposed by the Government under the State of Emergency to minimize the spread of the new coronavirus in Mozambique. (Adérito Caldeira)