Malawi's coronavirus cases rise to 57

Minister of Health, Jappie Mhango has announced that one more coronavirus Covid-19 case has been recorded in the country bringing the total number to 56 with three deaths since the first case was reported on April 2, 2020.

Speaking in Mzuzu on Monday, Mhango said the new case has been confirmed at the College of Medicine in Blantyre.

The case is for a 20-year-old man from Mulanje who returned from South Africa on April 27, 2020.

This follows 13 Covid-19 cases registered at the weekend, five of them being health workers from the Blanyre District Health Office.

Meanwhile, Mhango has rebutted allegations by UTM Party secretary general Patricia Kaliati that he is holding a football bonanza in Rumphi.

"I am not running any football bonanza in my area. I am championing the fight against Covid-19 and I can't do that," said Mhango.

Mhango said he is disappointed that political leaders are not encouraging social distance in their crowded mass rallies.

"Elections or not, we need people and we cannot be sending them to the grave because you want to win an election. Corona is real, elections or not, corona is real," he said.

Health rights activist, Maziko Matemba also observed that politicians seem to have forgotten the danger that is Covid-19, saying they are prioritizing politics at the expense of people's health.