DR Congo Records Meteoric Rise In COVID-19 Cases
COVID-19 cases in DR Congo are growing, with 64 positive cases out of 203 tests carried out in the country on Wednesday.
There has been a disturbing increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the last few weeks.
According to the country’s COVID-19 national response team, of the 203 tests carried out throughout the country on Wednesday, April 7, 64 were positive with 22 in Maniema, 14 in North Kivu, 13 in Lualaba, 12 in Kinshasa, and three in Ituri.
No new deaths nor treated cases were reported in treatment centres nor among those being treated at home.
The national response team revealed that since COVID-19 hit the country on March 20, 2020, the country has recorded 28,474 positive cases with 745 persons already dead, and 25,841 patients successfully treated.
The distribution of the positive cases according to the provinces stands at 20,373 in Kinshasa, 2,133 in North Kivu, 1,879 in Upper Katanga, 1,652 cases in Kongo Central, 886 in South Kivu, 830 in Lualaba, 279 cases in Ituri, 125 in Tshopo, 104 in Upper Uele, 62 cases in Equateur, 40 in North Ubangi, 20 in Maniema, 17 cases in Kasai Central, 9 in Kwilu, 7 in South Ubangi, 7 in Tanganyika, 7 in Kasai Oriental, 6 in Lower Uele, 4 in Kwango, 2 in Kasai, 2 in Mai-Ndombe, 2 in Tshuapa, and one case in Upper Lomami.
Meanwhile, in a press briefing in Maniema province on Thursday, April 8, Dr Kibungi Mutanga, the Provincial Minister of Health, revealed that COVID-19 cases in the province have been increasing exponentially for the past few weeks.
The minister announced that within the past one week, “the number of COVID-19 cases in the province has jumped from 39 to sixty,” Mutanga said.
“The province has actually succeeded in diagnosing sixty cases among whom two have died while twenty-four have been successfully treated.”
He added that 34 are under treatment with six not responding to treatment, noting that even after serious treatment, their results are still positive after 14 days of treatment.
“We call on people to have the habit of getting tested in order to know their status after which you will protect others,” the Minister pleaded with citizens.
“We demand also that the entire community should adopt the culture of washing their hands regularly and wearing masks. The community must be implicated in sensitization.”
The first COVID-19 positive case recorded in Maniema was in Sept. 2020 and was a 53-year-old man who had travelled to Kinshasa.
His wife and daughter were also tested positive. With a diabetes comorbidity and obesity situation, the patient died the same day he was isolated.
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