The COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Zambia in March 2020.[3]
COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia | |
---|---|
Disease | COVID-19 |
Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
Location | Zambia |
First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China |
Index case | Lusaka |
Arrival date | 18 March 2020 (4 years, 1 month and 4 days) |
Confirmed cases | 349,589[1] |
Active cases | 11,770[2] |
Recovered | 307,667[2] |
Deaths | 4,069[1] |
Fatality rate | 1.16% |
Vaccinations |
On 12 January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4][5]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[6][7] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[8][6] Model-based simulations for Zambia suggest that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number R t exceeded 1.0 in November and December 2020.[9]
On 17 March 2020, the Zambian government announced that all schools, colleges and universities would be closed on Friday 20 March.[57]
General Education Minister David Mabumba announced that the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation - ZNBC - would open a channel dedicated to the provision of education during the closure of schools. Mr. Mabumba said that the new ZNBC channel would start on 13 April.[citation needed]
Mr Mabumba said for those who cannot access Television there would be other educational programs on radio. The minister said government would further introduce e-learning and other measures to allow pupils access to education.[58]