Parliament Speaker tests positive for Covid-19

The Chairperson (speaker) of the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, Esperanca Bias, has caught the Covid-19 respiratory disease, and has urged those who have been in contact with her over the previous 72 hours to follow the recommendations of the health authorities, including going into quarantine.A press release from the Assembly said that Bias undertook a Covid-19 test on Friday as part of her preparations for a visit abroad. The test showed that she was positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

“Currently she is showing no symptoms, and is in home isolation”, said the release.

Bias urged all Mozambicans to follow preventive measures against Covid-19, such as frequent washing of hands, social distancing, wearing masks in public, and avoiding crowds, Over the past week, Bias made working visits to the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula. On Wednesday, in the Cabo Delgado provincial capital, Pemba, she delivered a donation for victims of the terrorism that has struck the province since October 2017, and has displaced over 700,000 people from their homes. On Thursday, she visited the Corrane camp in Meconta district, Nampula province, which is accommodating about 4,000 displaced people who have fled from the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado. She visited houses, tents and the medical centre at Corrane, and held a meeting with a representative group of the displaced people and leaders of the host community. Currently, 3,969 people are living at the Corrane centre, only 1,633 of whom are adults.

Geographical distribution of active cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours
THIN CABLE: 33
NIASSA: 116
NAMPULA: 46
ZAMBEZIA: 37
TETE: 1,513
MANICA: 393
SOFALA: 573
INHAMBAN: 150
GAZA: 148
PROVINCE OF MAPUTO: 1,064
CITY OF MAPUTO: 3,536
TOTAL: 7,609