Two Ministers Die Of COVID-19

Two Malawi cabinet ministers have died after contracting the Coronavirus (COVID-19), government authorities have announced.

The two, Minister of Transport and Public Works, Sidik Mia, and Minister of Local Government, Lingson Berekanyama, died on Tuesday morning after they were reported to have contracted COVID-19 last week.

COVID-19 has taken a toll in Malawi where at least 50 people have died since Jan. 1 with the highest number of deaths recorded on Saturday (12) and on Monday (10).

On Monday, the country recorded 452 new COVID-19 cases, the highest since the first cases were recorded in April 2020.

According to Monday’s update, the COVID-19 death toll was at 235 in Malawi with 2,744 active cases.

Most of the COVID-19 cases in Malawi are imported as the country continues to receive hundreds of returnees from South Africa, one of the COVID-19 risk countries in Africa.

Meanwhile, the country is weighing options as to whether to keep schools open or close to minimize the spread of the virus.