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Maputo - 24, March 2020 – Mozambique has registered two (2) more cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the last 24 hours, totaling three (3) cases confirmed in the country, announced the Ministry of Health of Mozambique in Maputo.

The second confirmed case is a close contact to the first patient tested positive in Mozambique, announced on 22 March 2020.

The patient is a woman, Mozambican national, with more than 70 years of age. The third case is a female, South-African national, with more than 30 years of age that is resident in Maputo and has recently re-entered the country from a trip to South Africa.

“In the last 24 hours, 12 suspected cases were tested, of which two (2) were confirmed positive for COVID-19. One of the confirmed cases is a local transmission and the other an imported case”, said the National Director for Public Health, Dr. Rosa Marlene. The two new cases were confirmed today, 24 March 2020, by the National Public Health Laboratory Institute in Maputo, Mozambique. Dr. Marlene informed that both new patients have mild symptoms and are in self-quarantine at home, in Maputo, being followed-up by medical teams.

As of today, the Ministry of Health has made available the website “COVID - 19 Fique Atento” (stay tuned) to gather information about the COVID - 19 outbreak in Mozambique.

The Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Mozambique, Dr. Djamila Cabral, affirmed that "the priority at this point is to support the Ministry of Health to contain the pandemic." According to Dr. Cabral, “to win, we need to intensify the efforts to identify, isolate and treat the positive cases; track and follow all protocols in place as well as continue to sensitize the entire population to comply with the prevention measures announced by the government” .

For the containment of the pandemic, the involvement of community actors and the media is crucial. "These partners will help the Ministry of Health to disseminate correct prevention information using languages with which people communicate," said the WHO Representative in Mozambique.

People can take actions to prevent the disease through simple, day-to-day measures. These include regular hand washing with soap and water; coughing into a tissue or a bent elbow, being sure to safely dispose of the tissue afterwards; maintaining a social distance of at least one meter, particularly if that person is coughing; avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth; and seeking medical attention early if a person develops a fever or cough.

For more information please contact:
Technical assistance:

Dr. Israel Gebresillassie
Emergency Programme, WHO Mozambique
+258 844093539; gebresillassiei@who.int

Dra. Sinésia Sitao
Emergency Programme, WHO Mozambique
+258 846723999; sitaos@who.int